By Megan Rauscher

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having a deep reverence for life seems to have a positive influence on health outcomes after heart bypass surgery, according to a study reported today at the American Geriatrics Society annual meeting in Chicago. This supports the potential influence of a "spiritual effect" on patients' recovery.

A handful of studies have linked religious factors, especially strong beliefs, with positive outcomes after bypass surgery, the researchers point out. "Yet, little is known about the role of faith factors in relation to secular belief systems."

To investigate, two University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania researchers - Amy L. Ai and S. F. Bolling -- conducted in-depth, face-to-face interviews with 177 patients 2 weeks before coronary artery bypass surgery and followed up with them after surgery.

"After controlling for medical variables, demographics and age, spirituality in secular contexts still stood out as having an independent direct effect on outcome," Ai noted in a telephone interview with Reuters Health ahead of the meeting.

Specifically, "a deep sense of reverence" for life predicted fewer post-surgery complications and fewer nights in the hospital after surgery.

"It's a personal sense of spirituality, a sense of deep interconnectedness with something that has significant meaning in your life -- like music, art, the natural environment, or providing love and support to others -- the kinds of things that provide a person with spiritual, uplifting feelings that is the key," Ai said.

In this particular study, frequency of prayer was also associated with reduced postoperative complications, Ai and Bolling found, but neither attendance at religious services nor spiritual experiences that enhanced one's belief was related to outcomes.

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