So much for the regligous right's dogma that prayer helps.
Now, can we get past their stem cell problems and get on with cures for
all sorts of diseases?
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Friday, July 15, 2005
STUDY: PRAYER DOESN'T HELP HEART TREATMENT
BBC - 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. . .
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.
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