High blood pressure (hypertension) affects millions of American adults, with disproportionately higher rates among African Americans, men, obese adults, and the elderly. High blood pressure is classified as systolic blood pressure of 140 or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure of 90 or higher. High blood pressure is known to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Now research reports that religion and spirituality may help lower the risk of high blood pressure.
The study, presented at the May 16-20, 2006 annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension in New York City, investigated the association between religion, spirituality and blood pressure in African Americans. Researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson reviewed the latest data from the ongoing Jackson Heart Study including 5,302 African Americans aged 35 to 85, two-thirds of whom were women. Questionnaires obtained from the participants asked the participants about their organized and non-organized religious activities, daily spiritual activities, and religious coping during times of stress.
The researchers found that participants with higher levels of religious participation had significantly lower blood pressure than people with less religious activities. Contrary to what the researchers expected, the participants with lower blood pressure were more likely to have a higher body mass index (BMI) and less likely to take their blood pressure medication. Furthermore, the participants with more religious participation had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
"Cardiovascular health disparities among African Americans are widely recognized, and hypertension is the most prominent risk factor in the development of cardiovascular disease in African Americans," says study author Sharon Wyatt, RN, PhD, from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, Mississippi. "Our findings show that the integration of religion and spirituality - attending church and praying - may buffer individuals exposed to stress and delay the deleterious effects of hypertension. These practices can be useful for individuals to incorporate into their daily lives."
REFERENCES:
1. Study Shows Positive Influence of Religion and Spirituality on Blood Pressure, American Society of Hypertension, Press Release, May 18, 2006.
2. Laino C. Spirituality May Help Blood Pressure. WebMD, May 18, 2006.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on August 21, 2006 02:49 PM
