WASHINGTON, USA, September 20, 2003: Can praying be good for your health? A decade ago, most doctors and scientists would have dismissed any connection between prayer and medicine. However, new studies drawing a positive connection between faith and healing have sparked new debate in the United States over the issue. A recent Gallup poll shows that 95 percent of the population of the United States believes in God, and nearly 80 percent of people over 65-years-old are members of a church. A number of studies have shown that individuals who pray regularly and attend religious services stay healthier and live longer than those who rarely or never go to a church, synagogue or mosque. Dr. Harold Koenig of Duke University’s director and founder of the Center for the Study of Religion, Spirituality and Health says, when he first opened the center in the 1990s he was afraid, “of being run out of town for practicing voodoo medicine.” The University recently released a study of 4,000 women and men of different faiths. All the participants were 65 or older. It found that the relative risk of dying was 46 percent lower for those who frequently attend religious services. A study by the same group found that those who pray regularly have significantly lower blood pressure and healthier immune systems.
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