The Student Room Group

ITN#5 - "Prayer no aid to heart patients"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4681771.stm


Praying for patients undergoing heart operations does not improve their outcomes, a US study suggests.
A study found those who were prayed for were as likely to have a setback in hospital, be re-admitted, or die within six months as those not prayed for.

The Duke University Medical Center study of 700 patients, in the Lancet, said music, image and touch therapy did appear to reduce patients' distress.

Heart experts said patients could benefit from feeling more optimistic.

Therapies such as prayer and homeopathy are widely used, although past studies looking at the impact of care on patients' health have had mixed results.

The results of this study contradict earlier findings from the same team which suggested a drop of a quarter or more in "adverse outcomes" - including death, heart failure or heart attack.

However, that trial involved only 150 patients. Other research since has found no evidence of any benefits.

This study looked at 700 patients undergoing angiograms (an X-ray of the blood vessels) or other heart operations at nine hospitals across the US.

Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist prayer groups were assigned to pray for 371 of the patients. The rest had no prayer group.

In addition, 374 of the patients were assigned MIT therapy and the rest none.

MIT involved teaching the patients relaxed breathing techniques and playing them easy listening, classical, or country music during their procedure.

The researchers found that neither therapy alone, or combined, showed any measurable treatment effect on serious cardiovascular events, hospital readmission or death.

But those given music, imagery and touch therapy had less emotional distress and had a lower death rate after six months, though this was not seen as statistically significant.

'Proper subjects'

Dr Mitchell Krucoff, who led the study, said: "If we want to understand the role of human capacities and resources in the midst of our most advanced medical technologies, we have to do good science.

"With no notion of the actual mechanisms involved in ancient healing practices such as prayer or touch or music, structured outcomes research allows us to collect data that we can learn from in many ways."

A Lancet editorial on the paper said it would be premature to rule out the use of such therapies in modern medicine.

It added: "The contribution that hope and belief make to a personal understanding of illness cannot be dismissed so lightly.

"They are proper subjects for science, even while transcending its known bounds."

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, spokesperson for the British Heart Foundation, said: "While this research suggests that prayer and alternative therapies do not improve the clinical outcome for patients undergoing heart procedures, there is increasing interest in the possibility that positive emotional states are beneficial to heart health."

She said associations had been seen between positive emotional states and low levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

"Further evidence is emerging that people with a more positive outlook appear to be less affected by stressful events, such as having surgery."

She added: "Patients learning to relax by using breathing techniques and listening to music, and being aware that others are thinking of them may contribute to a more optimistic outlook.

"Whether these effects are significant remains unproven."

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Reply 1
I saw a TV program on that study, it was good. But it's not very nice posting the results as a sticky, is it? Some people might not want to read this :s:
Reply 2
They've taken to posting recent articles on medical stuff as stickies for us to debate. This one is an interesting one, not a subject I'd ever have thought to do a study on. I'm not quite sure what to make of the results :confused:
Reply 3
Helenia
They've taken to posting recent articles on medical stuff as stickies for us to debate. This one is an interesting one, not a subject I'd ever have thought to do a study on. I'm not quite sure what to make of the results :confused:


Perhaps just point the people who want to debate to D&D then? I am not religious myself, but it's not really nice to post something that blatantly confronts people's religious beliefs about prayer and healing :s: Sorry. :redface:
Reply 4
I have no wish to enter D&D, they scare the crap out of me. I am, however, interested in people's opinions on medical issues. If people choose to take is as an offence against their religion, that's up to them.
Reply 5
Helenia
I have no wish to enter D&D, they scare the crap out of me. I am, however, interested in people's opinions on medical issues. If people choose to take is as an offence against their religion, that's up to them.


:rofl: but you are a mod, you should be fearless :wink:
"I am, however, interested in people's opinions on medical issues."

It isn't a medical issue though... not really.
feedtheflamingo
"I am, however, interested in people's opinions on medical issues."

It isn't a medical issue though... not really.


people are such pedants round here :p:
Reply 8
friendlyneutron
people are such pedants round here :p:


Please end your sentence with a fullstop and start it with a capital letter. :p:
"Please end your sentence with a fullstop and start it with a capital letter. :p:"

No. :biggrin:
Reply 10
ramroff
:rofl: but you are a mod, you should be fearless :wink:


But I have no power there. So I'd just get multi-quoted to death.
Reply 11
Helenia
But I have no power there. So I'd just get multi-quoted to death.


:rofl:. well, what do you think of the study? answer here then :wink:
Reply 12
Personally, I think it's a bit rich to ask God to give special attention to your dying mate - if God exists, he's got plenty of people to look after, so why should prayer make any difference at all?
Reply 13
What do I think of it? Well, as a Christian y'know, it is kinda disappointing to see this sort of thing. However, I've never really been a huge believer in "If all these randomers pray for someone then it'll work" - it's much more about human contact and having those around you caring and maintaining a positive attitude.

I wouldn't take it as evidence of the existence/absence of a God though :p:
Reply 14
Are you a practising Christian?

I think its a weird study...
Reply 15
I think it'll prove nothing to either religionists or scientists. If you believe in a providential deity, such as the god of the three great Abrahamic religions, -- a deity who specifically forbad that he be put to the test, then the results of this study will do nothing to sway your belief; if anything it could, perversely, be taken as confirmation of the absoluteness of God's decree. Of course it's practically impossible to to have any proper controls in a study of that nature. Who's to say that the patients aren't being prayed for by people unknown to those conducting the study? Reducing the superessential and metaphysical to the statistical is an obvious absurdity.
Reply 16
Not really no, because I dislike the university Christian Union and am entirely unstimulated by the church at home (where, if I were to go, I would be the only person under 50).

I believe in it though.
Reply 17
Why is this being stickied anyway? :confused:
Reply 18
ramroff
Why is this being stickied anyway? :confused:


Because a mod wanted it to be. :s: I don't think it needs to be really, it's just another thread.
Reply 19
I agree, seems random, like theres hidden intent or something.