Religion, Spirituality, and Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Many people believe religiousness and spirituality (R/S) are related to cardiovascular (CV) functioning. R/S have often been treated as an undifferentiated construct, but recent research defines spirituality more broadly than religiousness with spirituality being more closely associated with personal, non-institutional experiences. There remains, however, significant conceptual overlap with both addressing aspects of the sacred. Early studies of denominational differences established beneficial CVeffects for behaviorally strict groups. Epidemiological investigations of the general population typically relied on religious service attendance to measure R/S and demonstrated advantages for regular attendees for both CV mortality and morbidity. These findings were not completely accounted for by behavioral practices. Studies of cardiac patients and those undergoing cardiac surgery more often used multidimensional measures, and results are correspondingly more complex suggesting that though dimensions or facets of R/S are often associated with better outcomes, this is not always the case and some dimensions may reliably predict worse results. Several mechanisms may operate in the relationships between R/S and CVoutcomes including social support, behavioral lifestyles, and psychological functioning influenced by characteristics of R/S.