Dr. Gbenga G. Ogedegbe demonstrates the proper technique for taking blood pressure readings at a church in Harlem.
Photo: Mike Weymouth
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in New York City, and African Americans have a significantly greater burden of hypertension and heart conditions. New research led by Gbenga G. Ogedegbe, MD, MPH, professor in the at ٺƵ, shows that community health workers using a faith-based intervention delivered in churches were able to significantly reduce and manage hypertension in black communities.
“When we pray, what do we do? We do a whole set of repetitive patterns. You are contemplating something, and all those processes lead to a reduction in pulse rate,” Dr. Ogedegbe tells The Wall Street Journal, noting that prayer—taken as a form of meditation—was an important part of the program.
Dr. Ogedegbe and his team found that after 6 months, study participants in the faith-based intervention group saw a net reduction of 5.8 millimeters of mercury in systolic blood pressure. According to Dr. Ogedegbe, if sustained over 4 to 5 years, this reduction can reduce heart attacks and strokes by at least 20 percent.
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