Religiousness may lower blood pressure in blacks

By Anthony J. Brown, MD

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Participation in religious and spiritual activities is tied to a significant reduction in blood pressure among African Americans, according to the findings from what researchers say is the largest all-African American study to look at this relationship.

"The Jackson Heart Study is the first and only all-African American study of the risk factors and causes of heart disease," study author Dr. Sharon B. Wyatt, from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, told Reuters Health. "It has been called the 'Framingham of the South'," in reference to the well-known Massachusetts-based study.

The findings, which were reported here Thursday at the annual meeting of the American Society of Hypertension, are in agreement with previous reports suggesting that religiosity protects against high blood pressure.

A total of 5302 African Americans were asked a variety of questions to assess participation in organized and non-organized religion, religious coping, and daily spiritual experiences. In addition, standard demographic factors, such as gender and socioeconomic status, were recorded and blood samples were taken for analysis.

All four types of religious activity were associated with significant reductions in blood pressure. However, on further analysis, only the upper ("systolic") blood pressure reading fell significantly with increased religious participation.

"Initially, we thought there'd be fewer people with hypertension as religious participation increased," Wyatt said. "We did not find this, but among people with hypertension, their blood pressure was lower as religious activities increased."

Wyatt said her group did not look for an effect of religious denomination on blood pressure, adding that virtually all of the subjects in the study were of the Baptist faith or African Methodist/Episcopal.

As to how religious activity might lower blood pressure, Wyatt believes it involves a drop in levels of the stress hormone cortisol. "Stress was lower, so blood pressure fell. This occurs even though people who were more religious had higher BMIs" or body mass index.