Study: Praying Won't Affect Heart Patients

[Kadie]

Study: Praying Won't Affect Heart Patients
By MALCOLM RITTER, AP Science Writer

Thursday, March 30, 2006


(03-30) 10:01 PST NEW YORK, (AP) --


In the largest study of its kind, researchers found 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.


Researchers emphasized that their work can't address whether God exists or answers prayers made on another's behalf. The study can only look for an effect from prayers offered as part of the research, they said.


They also said they had no explanation for the higher complication rate in patients who knew they were being prayed for, in comparison to patients who only knew it was possible prayers were being said for them.


Critics said the question of God's reaction to prayers simply can't be explored by scientific study.


snip...
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.


more...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2006/03/30/national/a100110S72.DTL

[Warpy]

1. Prayer only works for the person doing the praying

and that part has been documented. It's the same thing that happens with meditators and people who do chanting, deep relaxation and centering.

Doing it for somebody else does nothing but make whoever is praying or chanting or meditating feel better about a bad situation.

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. ...and was this study done with a government grant?

...just askin'.... :popcorn: