Attending religious services may increase chance of longer life, study suggests
The Washington Post (5/16, Zauzmer) reports a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that those who attend religious services may have a better chance at a longer life. Among a group of 76,000 mostly Catholic and Protestant nurses surveyed over 20 years, the women who attended religious services at least once a week were 33 percent less likely to have died during the study. The study’s authors concluded that “religion and spirituality may be an underappreciated resource that physicians could explore with their patients, as appropriate.” According to co-author Tyler VanderWeele, the link between service attendance and decreased mortality may be owed to lifestyle choices such as smoking, and having continued social support.
        CBS News (5/16, Welch) reports that according to the study, those who attended religious services were 27 percent less likely to die from cardiovascular disease and 21 percent less likely to die from cancer. VanderWeele also remarked on the lower rates of depression that results on messages of hope and faith.