Religious Practice May Slow Alzheimer's Progression
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: Spirituality & Health
Topic: Spirituality & Health
Religious Practice May Slow Alzheimer's Progression

Spirituality, Religious Practice May Slow ProgressionOf Alzheimer's DiseaseMIAMI BEACH -- Spirituality and the practice of religion may help slow the progression of Alzheimer'sdisease, according to research that will be presentedat the American Academy of Neurology 57th AnnualMeeting in Miami Beach, Fla., April 9 -- 16, 2005. The study assessed 68 people aged 49 to 94 who metcriteria for probable Alzheimer's disease. Religiosityand spirituality were measured with the validated DukeUniversity Religion Index and the Overall Self-Rankingsubscale from the NIH/Fetzer Brief MultidimensionalMeasure of Religiousness/Spirituality. These methodscollected information on the patients' practices suchas attendance at religious events and private religious activities. "We learned that the patients with higher levels ofspirituality or higher levels of religiosity may havea significantly slower progression of cognitivedecline," said study author Yakir Kaufman, MD, whoconducted the research as a fellow at of the BaycrestCentre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, Ontario and isnow the director of neurology services at The SarahHerzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem, Israel. "Spirituality and religiosity have been linked tobetter health outcomes," said Kaufman. "Our researchaddressed the question whether this link is alsorelevant in Alzheimer's disease." Spirituality and private religious practices accountedfor 20 percent of the total variance. Kaufman saidthat further studies are needed to better understandthe connection between religiosity and cognitivedecline. "These findings may warrant an interventional studylooking at the possible effect of enhancement ofspiritual well-being as a means of slowing cognitivedecline," said Kaufman. More On.......Spirituality Meditation Yoga And Diseases