Breaking the loop: could stopping rumination lower blood pressure and depression?
NCT ID NCT05980130
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This small study tested a type of talk therapy called Rumination-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (RFCBT) in 9 low-income adults who had both depressive symptoms and high blood pressure. The therapy aims to help people recognize and stop repetitive negative thoughts (rumination), which may contribute to both depression and heart disease. Researchers measured changes in rumination, depressive symptoms, and blood pressure to see if the therapy could improve both mental and heart health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Rumination-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (RFCBT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this therapy could offer a way to lower both depression and heart disease risk by breaking the cycle of repetitive negative thinking.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small proof-of-concept study with only 9 participants and no control group. Results may not apply to the general population.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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9 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Aug 2023
- Finished
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Sep 2025
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * RSQ-Brooding score: \>= 11 * PHQ-9 score: 10-20 * SBP: \>= 120 and/or DBP: \>= 80) * fluent in English Exclusion Criteria: * None besides the described inclusion criteria
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Have a Heart clinic
Louisville, Kentucky, 40202, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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