Weekly chaplain liturgies significantly increased high frequency heart rate variability (190 vs 92 nu) and plasma IL-10/IL-6 ratios (3.96 vs 1.79) compared to no liturgies in very elderly individuals.
Cohort (n=59)
No
Does weekly chaplain liturgy improve heart rate variability, cytokine profiles, and hospitalization rates in very elderly individuals with previous CVD, CVA, or PD?
Spiritual activation through weekly chaplain sermons may improve autonomic tone, reduce proinflammatory cytokines, and lower hospitalization rates in very elderly patients with cardiopulmonary diseases.
Absolute Event Rate: 190% vs 92%
p-value: p=<0.05
Proinflammatory cytokine responses might occur in elderly individuals with cardiovascular (CV) disease, cerebro-vascular (CVA) disease, and/or pulmonary disease (PD). Spiritual activation is an important coping mechanism, since psychiatric depression is an important risk factor for these individuals. Thirty-three very elderly individuals (87 ± 8 years) with previous CVD, CVA and/or PD participated in weekly 30 minute sermons by chaplains for over 20 months of chaplain liturgy (CL group). All underwent Holter ECG during the procedures and cardiac autonomic activities were assessed by maximum entropy analysis. Plasma IL-10 and IL-6 levels were compared with 26 age-matched (85 ± 10 years) individuals who did not participate in these activities (non-CL group). Both high frequency (HF) and pNN50 of heart rate variability (HRV) were higher in the CL group than in the non-CL group (HF, 190 ± 55 versus 92 ± 43 nu, P < 0.05; pNN50, 10.5 ± 16% versus 3.6 ± 3.8%, P < 0.05), whereas LF/HF was lower (1.4 ± 1.5 versus 2.2 ± 2.8, P < 0.05). Levels of IL-10/IL-6 were higher in the CL group (3.96 ± 5.0 versus 1.79 ± 1.6, P < 0.05). Hospitalization rates due to CVD and/or PD were lower in the CL group than in the non-CL group (4/33 versus 11/26, P < 0.05). We conclude that spiritual activation can modify proinflammatory cytokines and suppress CVD, CVA and/or PD via vagal modifications. Spiritual activation might be helpful for health in these very elderly individuals.
Kurita et al. (Sat,) conducted a cohort in Previous cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, and/or pulmonary disease (n=59). Chaplain liturgies (spiritual activation) vs. No chaplain liturgies was evaluated on High frequency (HF) of heart rate variability (nu) (p=<0.05). Weekly chaplain liturgies significantly increased high frequency heart rate variability (190 vs 92 nu) and plasma IL-10/IL-6 ratios (3.96 vs 1.79) compared to no liturgies in very elderly individuals.