title: Prayer at midlife is associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline in Arabic women.
abstract: Midlife habits may be important for the later development of Alzheimer's disease (AD). We estimated the contribution of midlife prayer to the development of cognitive decline. In a door-to-door survey, residents aged ≥65 years were systematically evaluated in Arabic including medical history, neurological, cognitive examination, and a midlife leisure-activities questionnaire. Praying was assessed by the number of monthly praying hours at midlife. Stepwise logistic regression models were used to evaluate the effect of prayer on the odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD versus cognitively normal individuals. Of 935 individuals that were approached, 778 [normal controls (n=448), AD (n=92) and MCI (n=238)] were evaluated. A higher proportion of cognitively normal individuals engaged in prayer at midlife [(87%) versus MCI (71%) or AD (69%) (p<0.0001)]. Since 94% of males engaged in prayer, the effect on cognitive decline could not be assessed in men. Among women, stepwise logistic regression adjusted for age and education, showed that prayer was significantly associated with reduced risk of MCI (p=0.027, OR=0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.94), but not AD. Among individuals endorsing prayer activity, the amount of prayer was not associated with MCI or AD in either gender. Praying at midlife is associated with lower risk of mild cognitive impairment in women.
authors.affiliation: The Sagol Neuroscience Center, Department of Neurology, Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
authors.forename: Rivka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Inzelberg
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Afgin
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Massarwa
authors.forename: Edna
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schechtman
authors.forename: Simon D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Israeli-Korn
authors.forename: Rosa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Strugatsky
authors.forename: Amin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abuful
authors.forename: Efrat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kravitz
authors.forename: Lindsay A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Farrer
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Friedland
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018912:Arabs; D003072:Cognition Disorders; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012067:Religion; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires