As
a cardiologist, I use every tool at my disposal to help my patients win their
battles against heart disease. In addition to cholesterol-lowering drugs,
cardiac medications, tests and procedures, I also frequently recommend that my
patients give their local church a try. In fact, I've found this to be one of
my most effective therapies.
Researchers
studying the relationship between high blood pressure and religious activity
recently examined 4,000 older adults. Their study, published in the
International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, found that those who attended
religious services once a week or more and prayed or studied the Bible once a day
or more had a 40 percent lower diastolic blood pressure reading than those who
attended services and prayed less often.
This
does not surprise me. I've written before about one of my patients I call
"Alligator Annie," who ran a small country store in the Everglades
and kept a shotgun on hand to scare away alligators.
Her
high blood pressure was resistant to most medications, and I came to realize
that she was suffering from anxiety. I tried a number of techniques to help her
lessen her stress, but all failed. Finally, I asked her if it was OK if I
prayed for her. She accepted, and eventually, she began to follow a more
church-oriented path, going to services and becoming involved in the religious
community.
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