The use of prayer in promoting good health, long life and recovery from illness is not just a New Age fad, but very old ideas that are being rediscovered, medical experts say.
More and more doctors are coming to appreciate the role faith can play in medical matters, says a report in Reader's Digest magazine.
The publication cites a study by Dartmouth University researchers indicating that "deeply religious" heart patients are far less likely to die during surgery and a Yale University study showing that regular churchgoers' hospital stays are far fewer than those of individuals who never attend church.
Harvard Medical School's Dr. Herbert Benson says the facts are there. A relaxed state induced by prayer and meditation reduces the impact of stress hormones on the body and "lowers blood pressure and even slows brain waves, all without surgery."
Prayer seems to reassure patients they are not alone in their struggle, says Duke University's Dr. Harold Koenig. Such an attitude counteracts the psychological isolation that often undermines recovery for the seriously ill, he says.
The publication says a healthy respect for faith can also serve to remind doctors that their patient is a real person, not just a collection of symptoms and medical tests.
