Among African-Americans, practicing a religion seems to lower blood pressure, a study conducted at Duke University found. But that did not appear to be the case among whites.
Automated blood pressure monitors were used to track 155 people in the study, both in a clinic and in their daily activities. The researchers also asked people questions meant to measure their reliance on "religious coping," like the extent to which they prayed to deal with difficulties. The work was published last week in the journal Psychosomatic Medicine.
The white subjects in the study generally relied on religion less than the African- Americans, and religious practices did not seem to affect the whites' blood pressure. Among blacks, however, those who described themselves as actively religious had systolic blood pressure readings about six points lower than those who were not. While religion and a social network often go hand in hand, the researchers said, social factors appear to make a difference in blood pressure only while the people are awake. But the levels of religious activity were reflected in lower blood pressure when waking and sleeping.