Religion and spirituality linked to better heart health among black Americans

Religious practices and spirituality may be associated with better heart health, according to a new analysis published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.[1]

The study’s authors explored data from nearly 3,000 patients who participated in the Jackson Heart Study, a black Americans. Participants were interviewed and surveyed about a number of topics, including their heart health and their levels of religious activity or spirituality. Heart health was assessed using the Life’s Simple Seven model first developed by the American Heart Association.

Overall, the group found, participants who reported being highly religious were more likely to have intermediate or ideal heart health when looking at different Life’s Simple Seven factors. Also, participants who reported higher levels of religious practices or spirituality were less likely to smoke.

Patients who regularly participate in private prayer, the group added, were more likely to have intermediate or ideal diets.

“I would encourage healthcare professionals to initiate dialogue about religiosity and spirituality with their patients as part of comprehensive social history taking and patient-centered approaches to health care delivery,” first author LaPrincess Brewer, MD, a preventive cardiologist with Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, said in a statement. “I would also encourage researchers to consider these factors when designing heart health interventions.”