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(HealthDay News) -- Drop in stress hormone tied to reduced disease risk, study suggests.

A happy camper is a healthy camper, say British researchers who have unearthed evidence of a biological connection between a positive sense of well-being and reduced risk for disease among middle-aged men and women.

In this week's issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the authors report that simply being happy -- at work and at play -- is directly related with specific bodily functions that protect against cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune deficiencies and stress-related illnesses.

"There's a direct link between how we're feeling and the biological processes which relate to illness and illness risk," said study author Dr. Andrew Steptoe, the British Heart Foundation professor of psychology at University College London. "Biology is going to be on the side of those people who are going to be in a more positive state of mind, and it may well stand these people in good stead for their future health."

The researchers reported that age, marital status, gender and income appeared to have no impact on how happy the participants said they felt while at work.

Steptoe and his team also observed that those men and women who demonstrated the lowest levels of psychological distress on the earlier mental health screenings appeared to be generally happier people.

And those men and women who were happiest at work seemed to be happiest at play, they said -- although, for all participants, happiness was in more abundance during days off at home than during days "on" at the office.

Among the biological markers explored, not all appeared to influence happiness. Blood pressure was not associated with the participants' self-assessed happiness, while heart rate appeared to be a factor only among men -- being highest among the least happy men.

However, cortisol readings did appear to firmly back the notion of a biological connection between stress and happiness. The researchers found the happiest men and women had the lowest levels of cortisol. Cortisol levels were, on average, more than 32 percent higher among the least happy individuals.

The researchers noted the danger that high stress hormone levels can pose over time, highlighting the association between elevated cortisol and a higher risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes, abdominal obesity and a decreased resistance to infection.

On another biological front, the authors reported that blood tests revealed up to 12 times higher levels of a liver-produced protein known as plasma fibrinogen among the least happy men and women.

Fibrinogen works to stop bleeding by helping clots to form, but elevated levels of the protein have been associated with a higher risk for cardiovascular disease.

The researchers concluded that a having a strong sense of well-being and happiness may help boost biological systems, ultimately helping to lower the risk for developing a range of illnesses down the road. And they emphasized that this happiness-healthiness pathway appears to be a direct mind-body link that is independent of lifestyle choices, such as exercise, smoking and drinking.

"There's no doubt that people should do the healthy lifestyle things -- being physically active, and more prudent in their diets, and not smoking -- irrespective of this biological link," Steptoe advised. "But we need to think about things that will lead to more positive states as well. Doing things that you want to do, and getting gratification from those things."

But Steptoe cautioned that the road to becoming a happier -- and thereby healthier -- person can be tricky to navigate.

"I can't really prescribe how people should make themselves happier, because philosophers have failed at that for centuries," he said. "But most of our sense of happiness seems to relate to having good relationships with family and friends, and that's not something that can be maintained without some investment of effort, and keeping an appropriate balance. That balance, of course, is going to be different for different people."

Dr. Albert Ray is regional coordinator for health promotion and preventive care for Kaiser Permanente Southern California in San Diego. He said, "I try to give people concrete things to do to help de-stress. Get a dog, get a cat, go out, play sports, go to their religious institution, do yoga, get married, have a relationship, go on a vacation, do things that can relax a person."

Ray wholeheartedly applauded the researchers' ability to isolate the biological evidence for the effect happiness has on our bodies -- something he said he's observed anecdotally for years.

"There's no question that people with a positive attitude have lower blood pressure, suffer less illness, usually have lower cholesterol and better resistance to most infections," he said. "And when they do get sick, usually a positive attitude can result in shorter illness."

"And I think every doctor tries to tell their patient to get out and smell the flowers, go for a walk, read a book, and try and look on the bright side rather than have a negative outlook," Ray added. "It just seems sensible to reason. Even without being a doctor."

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

More information
For more on happiness and well-being, check with the American Psychological Association (www.journals.apa.org ).

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Friday, April 15, 2005

Survey: 4 of 5 teens say religion is important

The most comprehensive survey ever done on faith and adolescence finds a teen nation where more than four in five youths say religion is important in their lives.

But the new survey of more than 3,000 teenagers and their parents also indicated that many teens know little about their religion.

Many other activities compete for their time, but among religiously active teens - those who attend services weekly and belong to a youth group - their faith appears to be making a significant difference in their behavior.

The National Study of Youth and Religion, described as the most comprehensive research ever done on faith and adolescence, revealed that such teens are more likely to:

• Do better in school.
• Feel better about themselves.
• Shun alcohol, drugs and sex.
• Care about the poor.
• Make moral choices based on what is right rather than what would make them happy.

Researchers considered variables such as the possibility that more obedient youngsters are more likely to attend church, and still found that "religious faith and practice themselves exert significant positive, direct and indirect influences on the lives of teenagers, helping to foster healthier, more engaged adolescents who live more constructive and promising lives."

What religious groups have to worry about, the study found, is not teen rebellion, but a "benign 'whateverism"' that tends to reduce their perception of God to more of a valet - someone meeting individual needs.

The result is growing numbers of teens replacing traditional faith with an "alternative religious vision of divinely underwritten personal happiness and interpersonal niceness," said Christian Smith, the University of North Carolina sociologist who led the study.

By DAVID BRIGGS
RELIGION NEWS SERVICE

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Thursday, April 14, 2005

Major 'Spiritual Life of College Students' study released by UCLA

Results of the second phase in an ongoing major study of the spiritual lives of college students was released Wednesday, April 13 by a research center at UCLA. The study is a groundbreaking attempt to gain insight into the spiritual lives and concerns of students and improve how faculties and administrators at US colleges and universities address this part of their students' lives.

The study, named The Spiritual Life of College Students (http://spirituality.ucla.edu/), was conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute (http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html) (HERI), a research center of higher education in the United States. HERI is based in the Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/) (GSE&IS) at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

HERI also produces a widely-cited annual Survey of Entering Freshman (http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/freshman.html) through its Cooperative Institutional Research Program (http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/aboutcirp.html) (CIRP) program.

Resulting data

The differences and similarities in students' beliefs, activities and affiliations were examined along a number of dimensions, to assess the impact of the students beliefs on their daily lives. The results are summarized below. Note that the terms describing the various categories are taken verbatim from the survey results. Note also that some of the percentages add to more than 100% because the answers were not mutually exclusive and more than one answer could be checked.

Affiliations

The survey offered 20 choices of religious affiliation of various kinds, which may be broadly classified as Christian sects, Buddhist, Islamic, Jewish, Other, and None. The most numerous categories of response were:

* 28% Roman Catholic
* 17% Mainline Protestants such as Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Methodist, and Lutheran
* 17% No religious preference
* 13% Baptist
* 11% Other Christian

The fact that the survey was administered only at US schools agrees with the expression of predominantly Christian opinion.

Beliefs

Here is a quick summary of some of the major beliefs and interests of the students, that may be seen to indicate their overall level of involvement with such issues:

* 79% believe in God
* 76% are searching for meaning/purpose in life
* 80% are interested in spirituality

Lifestyles

Some of the findings in this area include:

* 81% attend religious services
* 80% discuss religion or spirituality with friends
* 69% pray

Although this percentage seems high, the proportion of US adults who pray is even greater at 82%, according to the Barna Group. [3] (http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=19) This fact is "not surprising" according to the author of the article in the Christian Science Monitor, given that college students are widely perceived as being hedonistic and less than serious.

Politics

Student's religious beliefs and affiliations were correlated with their political orientation in some predictable and some unexpected ways.

* "Among students who show high levels of Religious Engagement, conservatives outnumber liberals by better than 3 to 1"
* "However, liberals substantially outnumber conservatives among those with high scores on Ethic of Caring (2 to 1) and Ecumenical worldview (3 to 1)"

Unexpectedly however, very religious students were found to be more likely to oppose the death penalty and affirmative action, but to hold generally similar views to less-religious or spiritually inclined students on issues of race and sex.

The study also noted "sharp differences" in areas such as legalized abortion, casual sex, same-sex marriage, and the legalization of marijuana based on the students' level of religiousness or spirituality.

Religious tolerance

The findings on religious tolerance seem consistent overall with the practice of reconciling contradictions of religious faith in a modern, pluralistic society.

* 83% say “non-religious people can be just as moral as religious believers”
* 64% say that “most people can grow spiritually without being religious”

Confidence Levels

The student's personal level of confidence in their own belief was also studied:

* 42% secure
* 23% seeking
* 15% conflicted
* 10% doubting
* 15% not interested

Expectations

The survey also attempted to address how students feel about the role their schools should play in assisting their personal spiritual quest.

* 67% said that it was important to them that their college "Helps you develop your personal values"
* 48% said that it is “essential” or “very important” that their college "Encourages personal expression of spirituality"

The results seem to indicate a substantial demand for greater support of student's religious and spiritual pursuits by the colleges and universities they attend. This in turn suggests that future programs to address these kinds of needs may be developed at some colleges in response to the awareness raised by this study.

From Wikinews, the free news source April 14, 2005

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Spirituality May Slow Alzheimer's

A rewarding spiritual life may help slow the devastation of Alzheimer's disease.

"The data suggest there may be an association, meaning people with higher levels of spirituality and religiosity have a slower progression of Alzheimer's disease," said Dr. Yakir Kaufman, director of neurology services at Sarah Herzog Memorial Hospital in Jerusalem.

Kaufman, who conducted the research while a fellow at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto, was to present the findings April 13 at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, in Miami Beach.

Kaufman and his co-authors, however, stressed the need for caution when interpreting the results.

"This is the first study to actually attempt to look into a relationship between spirituality and religiosity and Alzheimer's disease," Kaufman said. "We did not specifically look into the mechanisms, and we certainly need to replicate these results and do a larger study."

Vincent Corso, a former priest who is now manager of spiritual care and bereavement services for Visiting Nurse Service of New York Hospice Care in New York City, said he was not surprised by the findings, however preliminary.

"People who are connected with a spiritual presence in their life, whether it takes the shape of a family member, close friend, support network, meditation or yoga, have a sense of peace and probably, by extrapolation, longevity," he said. "What's important to people is how much they're able to connect with the people around them. If that creates a feeling of well-being, then that aids in the healing process."

Other research not related to Alzheimer's disease has started to show a relationship between spirituality and better health outcomes.

"There's a growing body of data showing the positive effects of higher levels of spirituality/religiosity on health outcomes, especially in other disease states," Kaufman said. That data includes studies on other neurological conditions.

For this study, the researchers assessed 68 people who met the criteria for probable Alzheimer's disease. Participants were asked to complete a structured questionnaire which included questions such as how spiritual the participant viewed themselves, how often they attended religious services and how often they engaged in private religious activity such as prayer, meditation or Bible study. There were also several true or false items, such as, "In my life, I experience the presence of the divine" and "My religious beliefs lie behind my whole approach to life."

Participants who had high levels of spirituality or of religiosity seemed to have a slower progression of cognitive decline.

The authors were reluctant to posit any reason for this relationship. "We can't do speculations based on our study but, in other disease states, there are several factors that may be causing this effect," Kaufman said. "Some could be related to well-being. Some have been related to stress."

Instead of dwelling on possible explanations, Kaufman said he was considering doing another, larger study to try to replicate the results and look into the possible mechanisms.

"The findings of this study need to be replicated before one can start drawing conclusions," said senior study author Dr. Morris Freedman, head of neurology and director of the behavior neurology program at Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. "This is one study. It needs to be repeated."

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Does belief in God affect health?

A belief in God may improve a person's physical health, according to University of Chicago researchers who are launching the first comprehensive study to examine the relationship between religious attitudes and health.

Among the researchers' initial discoveries is that African Americans who say they have a strong relationship with God were significantly less likely to report depressive symptoms than those who did not. Among white participants in the study, there was very little impact of religious belief and reported depression.

In order to determine why African Americans were more likely to have depression reduced by religious belief, the team measured feelings of alienation, which they hypothesized may have an impact on depression. Because of discrimination and related experiences, African Americans reported higher levels of alienation than did whites, the team found.

"We reasoned that when one's group is the target of cultural bias, connections with one's countrymen may not be sufficient to reduce feelings of alienation. Reliance on a power that supercedes that of the country, God, may be beneficial, however," said team leader John Cacioppo, the Tiffany and Margaret Blake Distinguished Service Professor in Psychology at the University.

"Thus the consequences of a personal relationship with God may confer benefits in circumstances beyond the reach of relationships with individuals," he added.

The Pennsylvania-based John Templeton Foundation has given the University $1.8 million to launch the study, which will be coupled with University work on aging supported with $7.5 million from the National Institute on Aging of the Department of Health and Human Services. That work is an interdisciplinary effort to understand the connections between longevity and loneliness. Religious belief, like social support, could have beneficial effects on people's health, scholars contend.

Because the research is multi-disciplinary, including researchers in University of Chicago departments of Medicine, Psychology, Sociology, History, and Human Development, and the Divinity School, it provides a useful framework to study scientifically the connections between religious belief and health, said Cacioppo, the leader of both studies. Cacioppo is one of the nation's leading experts on social relations and aging.

"The study is based on an evolutionary model of humans as social beings in which the motive to form and maintain attachments and interpersonal relationships is in part genetically determined," Cacioppo said. As a result, people are born with the capacity for spirituality and humanity, Cacioppo said. The work will explore how this inclination to see a spiritual understanding, a relationship with God, varies among individuals because of social and environmental influences.

Measurable effects of strong spirituality, regardless of religion, are improved physiological functioning, health and well being, especially in difficult times, Cacioppo said. Those benefits of belief in God accrue over time and are an important aspect of dealing with aging, he said.

Reviewed: April 13, 2005 Rick Nauert PhD
Source: EurekAlert!
Copyright: ©University of Chicago

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Tuesday, April 12, 2005

NPR asks listeners to write about what you believe

Dan Gediman was home sick with the flu and looking for something to read when he came upon his wife's old copy of This I Believe, a compilation of personal essays originally read by the essays' authors on a popular 1950s CBS radio feature of the same name.

"I was utterly fascinated when I started to delve into this book and read essay after essay," said Gediman, an independent radio producer based in Louisville, Ky. "And I was astonished that this thing could have been such an enormous phenomenon in its day and I didn't know a thing about it."

He read a sobering essay by Will Thomas, a black war veteran so disgusted by the Jim Crow world he came home to that he was moving his family to Vermont to give the country he loved one more chance. The searching words of 16-year-old Elizabeth Deutsch contemplating faith and duty. And revealing reflections of national icons such as Jackie Robinson.

A seed was planted.

Two years later, Gediman's chance sickbed encounter with This I Believe and the enlistment of Jay Allison, an old friend, collaborator and ground-breaking public-radio producer, and Jay Kernis, senior vice president for programming at National Public Radio, has blossomed into an ambitious reprise on NPR.

The new series, also called This I Believe, made its debut last Monday with an introduction hosted by Allison, who explained the history of the original series, hosted by Edward R. Murrow. Allison replayed snippets of some of the original essays, including the piece by Deutsch, now a Cornell University professor, and invited listeners to join the new effort by submitting their own essays. http://www.npr.org/thisibelieve/agree.html

Regular and prominent Americans are being asked to describe in 500 words their core beliefs and values, and each week NPR will feature a three-minute essay read by the author.

The producers already have received hundreds of essays online at http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4564213 and have enlisted as essayists notable Americans ranging from boxing champion Muhammad Ali and activist Gloria Steinem to former Secretary of State Colin Powell and movie director Ron Howard. Former President Clinton will contribute, as will former House Majority Leader Newt Gingrich.

Allison said there was an ongoing effort to provide a good balance of perspectives. "We're inviting all comers," he said. "We're not interested in political harangue, not campaign or policy statements or negative statements."

He sees parallels in our contemporary experience and that of Americans in the 1950s. "We are afraid of each other," he said. "Patriotism is questioned. There's a great fear of the other. There are questions about America's place in the world, the overshadowing fear of war and issues of race and immigration are still with us."

Kernis, the NPR executive, said the essays now being sought aren't intended to be sermons, speeches or proselytizing, but "personal stories about how people reached their beliefs."

That doesn't mean faith won't figure into the essays.

"God is a part of most peoples' lives," Kernis said. "If people want to talk about God, spirituality and their beliefs, then they should be able to."

One of the project's goals, Gediman said, is to archive all the essays in an effort to capture for posterity what America believes in 2005. "The process of writing is transformative," he said. "It crystallizes your beliefs."

By Liz Halloran
The Hartford Courant
The Hartford Courant is a Tribune Co. newspaper.

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Most Young Adults Value Faith, But Shun Organized Religion

Generation Y is down with faith and spirituality. But when it comes to traditional religious institutions, most young people are saying: Whatever.

In a landmark report on youth and religion released today, the plurality of 18-to-25 year old Americans claim religion and spirituality as an important part of their lives -- but say they're shunning the religious establishment to explore their faith in untraditional, informal, and often highly personal ways.

The survey, the first of its kind to compare and contrast the religious identity of 18-to-25 year old Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims, classified the plurality of Generation Y (46%) as "Undecided," young people who value faith, but prefer to express it informally. The remaining respondents are identified as either highly religious (27%) or avowedly secular (27%).

Conducted on behalf of Reboot, a national network for young Jews, by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the report, "OMG! How Generation Y is Redefining Faith in the iPod Era," was unveiled at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. (A full copy of the report can be found at http://www.rebooters.net/poll.html.)

Its findings present critical challenges for America's religious institutions, according to Roger Bennett, co-founder of Reboot.

"The religious establishment is failing to connect with Generation Y, the most diverse and individualist group in American history," Bennett said. "iTunes, Tivo, and MoveOn have shown this generation that it is possible to bypass the 'middleman' and take control of their own experiences, whether it's a song list or politics. Religious institutions have to recognize this reality if they want to be more meaningful to them," he said.

According to the survey, many 18-to-25 year olds express their faith in informal ways that are either communal or individualistic, such as praying before meals (55%), talking with friends (38%), or reading religious magazines, books, and newspapers (33%).

While they enjoy "a genuine attachment to religious life," younger people are "more disconnected from traditional denominations than their older counterparts ... [and] favor more informal ways to practice their faith as opposed to attending services, classes, or formal activity," the report says.

The survey, however, reveals that young people who identify as highly religious (27%) tend to be more self-aware and significantly more connected to family and community.

"One of the most remarkable findings of the study is that on every measure, highly religious youth better understand themselves and their place in the community more than less religious youth," said the report's author, Anna Greenberg, vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research.

"The results send a clear message: Demand for meaning and community is there, but few in Gen Y are finding it in churches, mosques, or synagogues," Bennett said. "The question now is whether established institutions will adapt or innovate to meet this generation's particular spiritual needs."

Among other key findings in the report:

* Level of religious engagement varies: About a quarter (27%) of the youths surveyed were categorized by survey authors as "Godly," or highly religious. The same number (27%) was categorized as "Godless," or non-religious. A plurality (46%) of Generation Y was classified as "Undecided."

* Diverse social circles: Unlike previous generations who generally lived and socialized in ethnic or religious enclaves, Generation Y does not seek out friends of the same religion. Only 7% said all their friends are members of the same religion. Even the most religious youth maintain diverse networks, with only 9% claiming all their friends are of the same religion.

* Progressive worldview: Generation Y offers a highly tolerant, progressive worldview, even among youths who identify as religious. A majority (53%) support same-sex marriage rights; 63% support keeping abortion legal.

* Denominations decline: Many young people cannot identify what faith tradition or denomination they belong to. Along with a decline in denominationalism, the survey reveals a concurrent rise in the number of people unwilling to align with a denomination at all.

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The report's author, Anna Greenberg, is vice president of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, and Assistant Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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Sunday, April 03, 2005

First Confirmed Picture of a Planet Beyond the Solar System

After a few close calls, astronomers have finally obtained the first photograph of a planet beyond our solar system, SPACE.com has learned.

And this time they say they're sure. Though some doubt lingers about the mass of the object.

The planet is thought to be one to two times as massive as Jupiter, according to the scientists who imaged it. It orbits a star similar to a young version of our Sun.

The star, GQ Lupi, has been observed by a team of European astronomers since 1999. They have made three images using the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Chile. The Hubble Space Telescope and the Japanese Subaru Telescope each contributed an image, too.

The work was led by Ralph Neuhaeuser of the Astrophysical Institute & University Observatory (AIU).

"The detection of the faint object near the bright star is certain," Neuhaeuser told SPACE.com on Friday.

The system is young, so the planet is rather warm, like a bun fresh out of the oven. That warmth made it comparatively easier to see in the glare of its host star compared with more mature planets. Also, the planet is very far from the star -- about 100 times the distance between Earth and the Sun, another factor in helping to separate the light between the two objects.

The discovery will be detailed in an upcoming issue of the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. Neuhaeuser's co-authors include Ph.D. student Markus Mugrauer, who performed the observations, and Guenther Wuchterl.

Jayawardhana added, though, that some models used to estimate the object's heft show it could be tens of times as massive as Jupiter, in which case it might cross over into the territory, bulk-wise, of a failed type of star known as a brown dwarf.

By Robert Roy Britt