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Background. A concomitant increase in pregnancy complications has accompanied the growing global trend of excessive weight gain during pregnancy. This study evaluates the effect of ear acupressure (auriculotherapy) on the weight-gaining pattern of overweight women during pregnancy. Materials and Methods. This study was a single-blinded randomized clinical trial conducted between January and September 2022. This study took place in health centers of Qom University of Medical Sciences in Iran. One-hundred thirty overweight pregnant women were selected by a purposeful sampling method and then divided into two groups by block randomization method. In the intervention group, two seeds were placed in the left ear on the metabolism and stomach points, while two seeds were placed in the right ear on the mouth and appetite points. Participants in the intervention group must press the seeds six times a day, 20 minutes before a meal for five weeks. For the placebo group, the Vaccaria seedless label was placed at the same points as the intervention group. A digital scale with an accuracy of 0.1 kg was used to weigh the pregnant women during each visit. Descriptive statistics, independent T-test, chi-square, and repeated measure ANOVA (analysis of variance) test were used to check the research objectives. Results. There was a statistically significant difference between the auriculotherapy and placebo groups immediately after completing the study (1120.68 ± 425.83 vs. 2704.09 ± 344.96 (g); P = 0.018), respectively. Also, there was a substantial difference in the weight gain of women two weeks (793.10 ± 278.38 vs. 1090.32 ± 330.31 (g); P < 0.001) and four weeks after the intervention (729.31 ± 241.52 vs. 964.51 ± 348.35 (g); P < 0.001) between the auriculotherapy and placebo groups. Discussion. The results of the present study indicated the effectiveness of auriculotherapy in controlling the weight gain of overweight pregnant women. This treatment could be used as a safe method, with easy access, and low cost in low-risk pregnancies. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with IRCT20200104046002N1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Genital warts are sexually transmitted diseases for which there is no definitive cure. This study aimed to determine the effect of the combination of olive leaf extract and curcumin on the number of lesions and the duration of recovery in patients with external anogenital warts. Methods. This study is a three-blind randomized controlled clinical trial conducted in 2020. In this study, women with external anogenital warts were enrolled by the consecutive nonprobability sampling method and then assigned by stratified block randomization to two groups: placebo (n = 28) and intervention (n = 26). In the intervention group, the combined olive leaf and curcumin extract was applied topically three times a day until recovery and up to 12 weeks. Routine treatment was administered to both groups in addition to the interventions. The number of warts, the duration of recovery, and the severity and duration of treatment side effects were assessed in all participants. Results. The results showed that the mean number of warts was significantly lower in the intervention group (5.65 ± 5.223) than in the placebo group (7.61 ± 5.245) from the fifth day of treatment onwards (p = 0.027). The mean duration of recovery in days in the intervention group (14.73 ± 9.735)) was significantly less than the placebo group (34.25 ± 18.863) (p = 0.001). In addition, there was no significant difference between the two groups in the frequency of drug side effects such as burning (p = 0.083), redness (p = 0.413), and itching (p = 0.706). The intervention group experienced side effects for a shorter duration of time (1.50 ± 1.924) compared to the placebo group (4.93 ± 8.366) (p = 0.043). Conclusion. The combined 10% olive leaf and curcumin extract can be effective in reducing the number of warts, duration of healing, and reducing the duration of complications in patients with external anogenital warts and is recommended as a complementary treatment for these patients. This trail is registered with IRCT20200509047350N1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]