Question 425 of 433
Do faith and spiritual practice affect health?
The short answer
People who regularly attend religious services live longer on average, and practices such as prayer, gratitude, and meditation lower stress in measurable ways.
A Harvard study of 74,000 nurses found that women who attended services more than once a week had a 33 percent lower risk of death over sixteen years. Community explains part of it. So do meaning, ritual, a weekly day of rest, and a framework for facing loss.
I am a physician, and I will not prescribe belief. But I have sat with many people at the end of their lives, and I can report what I have seen: those who feel they belong to something larger than themselves suffer less fear. Medicine treats the body. Something else has to answer the question of what the body is for.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
OBSERVATIONAL — Religious attendance and mortality; confounding and diversity of belief limit causal conclusions.Evidence grade (draft mapping)CObservationalPart 29, Q425 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.