Among 6,844 English adults aged 50+ tracked across four waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, greater spirituality, daily prayer/meditation, organized religious participation, and importance of religious faith were each independently associated with lower fibrinogen levels — an inflammatory marker linked to clotting risk and cardiovascular disease. Daily prayer/meditation also predicted modestly higher fruit and vegetable intake. On the unfavorable side, frequent religious attendance reduced the odds of meeting physical activity recommendations by roughly 15%, and was associated with incrementally higher HbA1c — a key glycemic marker tied to diabetes and cardiovascular risk. No associations emerged for CRP or blood pressure.
This preprint, not yet peer-reviewed, adds rare longitudinal texture to a literature dominated by cross-sectional snapshots. The fibrinogen finding is biologically plausible — stress reduction through spiritual practice may dampen systemic inflammation via neuroendocrine pathways — and aligns with prior work linking meditation to lower inflammatory markers. However, the effect sizes are small, and the HbA1c-attendance link likely reflects confounding through sedentary social behavior rather than religion per se. The exercise deficit among frequent attenders deserves clinical attention: congregations represent an underutilized public health platform for promoting physical activity. The predominantly Christian, older English cohort limits global generalizability. Overall, this is a methodologically careful, confirmatory-yet-nuancing contribution — reminding clinicians that spiritual life is neither uniformly protective nor harmful for cardiovascular health.