Several reports have indicated a positive effect of Momordica charantia (MC) on blood pressure (BP); nevertheless, these findings have been controversial. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were aimed to investigate the effects of MC supplementation on BP. PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane library databases were searched (up to June 2020) to identify RCTs investigating the effects of Momordica charantia supplementation on systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Weighted mean differences (WMD) were pooled using a random-effects model. Publication bias was assessed by Egger's and Begg's test and heterogeneity was evaluated using Q tests and the I 2 statistic. Eventually, only five articles (six treatment arms) 305 participants (154 as intervention group/151 as control), which reported data of interest entered for data analysis. The meta-analysis showed a non-significant reduction in SBP (WMD: −2.28 mmHg; 95% CI: −6.62, 2.05, P = .302), with significant heterogeneity between selected studies (I 2 = 77.3%) and (WMD: −0.8 mmHg, 95% CI: −2.65 to 1.04, P = .394) with significant between-study heterogeneity (I 2 = 38.1%). When studies were categorized based on participants' mean age and duration of intervention, SBP and DBP had a large non-significant decrease in subjects with equivalent and less than 50 years' subset and short duration (≤8 weeks'). Consumption of MC preparations was not associated with a significant reduction in either SBP or DBP. However, we found a significant hypotensive effect of MC in younger adults and in short-term interventions. Future adequately powered clinical trials, with larger sample size, which consider proper standardization of MC preparations and exclusively include hypertensive patients, are needed to investigate the clinical potential of MC on blood pressure control among these patients.

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Background:This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of memantine in the acute treatment of geriatric with bipolar disorder (BD) hospitalized for mania.Materials and Methods:This study conducted on 70 patients older than 60 years with BD in the acute phase of mania. Oral sodium valproate was prescribed in both groups. The intervention group received memantine tablet and the placebo group received a placebo tablet based on a same procedure. Severity of mania, cognitive changes, and quality of life (QoL) were assessed and recorded 4 and 8 weeks after the beginning of the study. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS (version 20) using independent samples t-test, analysis of variance in repeated observations, Chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test.Results:Mania severity score had no significant difference at the beginning of the study, but 4 and 8 weeks after the intervention, it was reduced significantly in both groups (P < 0.001) that was higher in memantine group (P = 0.038). The mean increase in score of cognitive variations was 6.74 in the memantine group and 3.62 in the placebo group with a nonsignificant difference (P = 0.125). The scores of each dimension of QoL in the two groups showed that in all four dimensions, the patient's physical, psychological, social, and environmental status increased significantly by time (P < 0.001).Conclusions:According to the results of this study, memantine as an adjuvant to administration of sodium valproate may have a significant effect on decreasing the intensity of mania in the long run.