Can Prayer Really Help People Get Well?

Hello..This is Dr. David P. Pryor and I started BlackWomensHealth.com (BWH) 7 years ago in response to my patient’s desire for more information to assist them in their pursuit of healthier living. From your comments, it has been a great success thus far and many of you have increased your understanding of health and wellness.

We are starting a new Blog on the site and this is the inaugral entry..Let's learn and grow together!!

A new study set to appear in the American Heart Journal addreses the question: Does prayer make a difference in an individual's recovery after heart bypass surgery? According to an Associated Press report, the study examined the effect of prayer on 1,800 patients and tested the effect of having three Christian groups pray for particular patients, starting the night before surgery and continuing for two weeks. The volunteers prayed for "a successful surgery with a quick, healthy recovery and no complications" for specific patients, for whom they were given the first name and first initial of the last name.

The patients were split into three groups of about 600 apiece: those who knew they were being prayed for, those who were prayed for but only knew it was a possibility, and those who weren't prayed for but were told it was a possibility.

The study looked for any complications within 30 days of the surgery. Results showed no effect of prayer on complication-free recovery. But 59 percent of the patients who knew they were being prayed for developed a complication, versus 52 percent of those who were told it was just a possibility. Researchers have concluded that having people pray for heart bypass surgery patients had no effect on their recovery. In fact, patients who knew they were being prayed for had a slightly higher rate of complications.

While the study is by no means conclusive, it does question the effect of prayer...

What have your experiences been? Does prayer really make a difference in recovery from sickness? Post your comments so we can see what you think!

Living Better…For Life

Preventing Stroke
On Sunday March 5, 2006, Kirby Puckett, a Hall of Fame outfielder, died of a massive stroke at the age of 45. While each death is saddening, Mr. Puckett’s homecoming at any early age should serve as a reminder of the high rates of hypertension and stroke in the African American community. Mr. Puckett, who was extremely overweight at the time of his death, was part of the high risk group of African American men who have twice the risk of stroke as same-age white men and a fourfold higher risk of hemorrhagic stroke.

Obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, and high cholesterol are all risk factors for stroke—and each of these conditions exist at high rates in the African American community.

As the baseball world reflects on the life of Kirby Puckett, let’s take time to conduct a “health inventory” of our lives and the lives of our loved ones. Do you know your numbers (are you overweight, what is your blood pressure, what is your cholesterol level, are you smoking, and if you have diabetes, how is your control?)

Share with us your experiences with stroke and/or what you are doing to prevent stroke in your family.