I would be much more interested in whether prayer can have a positive affect on a patient when they engage in it knowingly. I mean, prayer, and the calming affect that belief in a higher power can have in some people, could be physically beneficial I would imagine.
> Interesting study released in the Lancet today > > Although prayer did not influence outcome, if the patient received > what was called music imagery and touch therapy were more relaxed > prior to the procedure, they did no better than controls on measures > of major heart problems or being readmitted to the hospital. However > the MIT treated patients have a lower risk of death at a six month > follow-up. > > http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/InterventionalCardiology/tb/1362 > > from the site: > > Review > DURHAM, N.C. July 14-Can prayers for divine intervention affect the > outcomes of cardiac interventions? God only knows. > > That's the dispassionate, science-based conclusion of investigators in > the multicenter MANTRA II trial, a study looking at the effects of > distant prayer and of combined music, imagery, and touch therapy on > patients scheduled to undergo cardiac catheterization. It was > published in the July 16 issue of The Lancet. > > In a study involving 748 patients at eight centers slated for > catheterizations, patients who, unbeknownst to them, were randomly > assigned to be the subjects of multi-faith prayers before their > procedures, fared no better than controls (un-prayed for) patients, > reported Mitchell W. Krucoff, M.D. of the Duke Clinical Research > Institute here and colleagues. > > In addition to seeing no effect of prayer, they found that patients > who were randomly assigned to receive music, imagery and touch therapy > shortly before their scheduled procedures reported having lower stress > going into the procedure. Yet they did no better than controls on > measures of major cardiovascular events or hospital readmission, > although treated patients have a lower risk of death at a six month > follow-up. > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Purchase Contribute 3 from House of Fusion, a Macromedia Authorized Affiliate and support the CF community. http://www.houseoffusion.com/banners/view.cfm?bannerid=53 Message: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=i:5:164954 Archives: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/threads.cfm/5 Subscription: http://www.houseoffusion.com/lists.cfm/link=s:5 Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/cf_lists/unsubscribe.cfm?user=89.70.5 Donations & Support: http://www.houseoffusion.com/tiny.cfm/54
