Health
Just 5 minutes of prayer could have surprising health benefits, study finds
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Adult patients experienced significant relief from pain and anxiety after just five minutes of in-person prayer, as found in a randomized controlled trial.
The study, led by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine’s Department of Family and Community Medicine, compared the effects of direct prayer to the effects of listening to music, revealing that prayer provided greater and more sustained relief for both symptoms.
“Prayer is powerful and beneficial on many levels,” Jesse Bradley, pastor of Grace Community Church in Washington, told Fox News Digital.
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According to statistics cited in the study, prayer is the most used form of complementary medicine in the United States, relied on by 43% of Americans.
The researchers focused on a practice known as proximal intercessory prayer (PIP), which is defined as in-person, face-to-face prayer directed toward another individual’s well-being.
The researchers tracked changes in the participants’ self-reported pain and anxiety levels at multiple intervals: immediately after the five-minute session, at two weeks and at six weeks. (iStock)
The research team recruited 180 adult patients from a family medicine waiting room, according to a press release. All participants had previously reported experiencing moderate to severe pain, anxiety or both.
Following their standard medical appointments, the patients were randomly assigned to one of two groups: the prayer group, in which participants received five minutes of in-person Christian prayer delivered by a trained volunteer, and the music group, where they spent five minutes listening to music.
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The researchers then tracked changes in the participants’ self-reported pain and anxiety levels at multiple intervals: immediately after the five-minute session, at two weeks and at six weeks.
“It was very well-received,” Katherine Jacobson, MD, assistant professor of family and community medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, told Fox News Digital. She noted that 97% of participants said they were “neutral or supportive” when asked about having this kind of prayer available as part of their medical visits.
An expert described the transformative power of prayer through “healing and comfort,” and shared that he himself once went through a long, painful recovery process. (iStock)
The study, which was published in The Annals of Family Medicine, revealed that while patients in both groups showed improvements, those in the prayer group reported substantially greater relief.
Bradley, who was not involved in the study, described the transformative power of prayer through “healing and comfort,” and shared that he himself once went through a long, painful recovery process.
“Daily prayer was essential in my healing journey,” he shared.
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For pain reduction, the individuals who received in-person prayer experienced greater drops in pain intensity immediately following the session. This superior level of relief remained evident during the two-week follow-up compared to the music group, the researchers found.
For anxiety reduction, the benefits of prayer were even longer-lasting. The prayer recipients reported significantly greater reductions in anxiety immediately after the session, and these positive effects remained statistically significant at both the two-week and six-week checkpoints.
The prayer recipients reported significantly greater reductions in anxiety immediately after the session, and these positive effects remained statistically significant at both the two-week and six-week checkpoints. (iStock)
“We expected that patients who expected prayer to work would benefit more, but that wasn’t what we found,” Jacobson said.
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“Religious affiliation, religious intensity and expectancy of healing did not predict who improved,” he went on. “Benefits appeared across a wide range of patients, including those not of the Christian faith and those who did not expect the intervention to help them.”
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The study had some limitations, the researchers acknowledged, primarily that it could not prove that prayer itself caused the improvements.
The team also noted that patients receiving prayer had human contact, while the music control group did not. The eye contact and gentle laying of hands from the prayer volunteers may have had an impact, as that type of contact is known to reduce pain.
The researchers suggested that PIP could serve as a low-cost, non-pharmacologic and effective complement to standard medical care. (iStock)
The authors hope to conduct future studies with a control group that receives interpersonal contact but no prayer.
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“For physicians and health systems, the study supports continuing to ask patients about spiritual care preferences as part of whole-person care, and considering whether trained Christian volunteer prayer practitioners could be integrated into outpatient settings for interested patients,” Jacobson said.
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The researchers suggest that PIP could serve as a low-cost, non-pharmacologic and effective complement to standard medical care.
Rather than replacing traditional treatments, the authors indicate that this type of brief, faith-based intervention could be integrated into primary care settings to help manage pain and anxiety.
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Taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss may improve male fertility, according to experts.
Research presented this week at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, explored how obesity is strongly linked to fertility problems in men.
Excess weight can contribute to dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis — the hormone system that regulates testosterone production — and functional hypogonadism, a condition in which testosterone levels are abnormally low because of disrupted hormone signaling. These changes can also impair semen quality.
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The researchers evaluated how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs impact reproductive hormones and metabolic outcomes, analyzing data of men between the ages of 18 and 65 who were taking one of the medications, according to a press release.
The systematic review of five randomized controlled trials focused on measuring testosterone, brain hormones involved in testosterone and sperm production, and a protein that carries sex hormones in the blood. Semen quality, weight and BMI, cholesterol and blood sugar were also measured.
Men with obesity and low testosterone linked to obesity may experience improved testosterone, sperm quality and metabolic heath while taking a GLP-1, the study found. (iStock)
The results suggested that GLP-1 medications do not suppress male hormones. Men with obesity and low testosterone linked to obesity may experience improved testosterone, sperm quality and metabolic health, especially during weight loss.
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In one four-week study, dulaglutide showed no significant changes in reproductive hormones or sexual function.
In a separate 16-week trial, liraglutide improved hormones in obese men with functional hypogonadism, meaning low testosterone was likely related to obesity. The review found that liraglutide was better for health outcomes than hormone replacement therapy.
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Another liraglutide study reported improved sperm concentration and count.
The study authors concluded that GLP-1s “do not appear to acutely suppress the male HPG axis and may improve reproductive hormones and semen parameters in obese hypogonadal men, largely within the context of weight loss.” (iStock)
A 24-week trial of semaglutide, known commercially as Ozempic and Wegovy, saw improvement in sperm shape and bad cholesterol, while preserving total testosterone.
As only five trials were included, the small evidence base suggests more research is necessary to prove further association.
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In an abstract of the research, the authors summed up that GLP-1s “do not appear to acutely suppress the male HPG axis and may improve reproductive hormones and semen parameters in obese hypogonadal men, largely within the context of weight loss.”
“However, evidence remains limited and heterogeneous, underscoring the need for larger RCTs explicitly powered to assess male reproductive outcomes,” they wrote.
“This provides early evidence that GLP-1 medications taken by obese men with hypogonadism/low testosterone (low T) improves testosterone levels,” one doctor said. (iStock)
Dr. Anthony Puopolo, men’s health expert and lead medical provider for RexMD, reflected on these findings in an interview with Fox News Digital.
“This provides early evidence that GLP-1 medications taken by obese men with hypogonadism/low testosterone (low T) improves testosterone levels,” he said.
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While more research is necessary, Pupolo, who was not involved in the study, shared his optimism about how GLP-1s can play a role in improving male fertility.
“If this finding continues to gain evidence, GLP-1s might be a better option for low T than testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in obese men – as GLP-1 medications preserve fertility, whereas TRT tends to be harmful to male reproductive/sperm function,” he added.
Health
Measles-infected traveler may have exposed passengers at LAX and nearby hotel, health officials warn
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A traveler infected with measles may have exposed passengers at Los Angeles International Airport and guests at a nearby hotel after arriving in Los Angeles County earlier this month, health officials said Wednesday.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health said it is investigating a confirmed measles case involving a traveler who arrived aboard Cathay Pacific Flight CX 884 on June 11. The traveler was infectious while passing through Los Angeles County, potentially exposing others at LAX and the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel.
The case marks the sixth measles infection reported in Los Angeles County this year. Health officials said the risk of exposure could increase as summer travel ramps up and Los Angeles welcomes international visitors for FIFA World Cup events being held in the region.
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A 3D illustration shows measles virus particles. (iStock)
According to health officials, anyone who was at the Tom Bradley International Terminal between 10 a.m. and noon on June 11 may have been exposed. Officials also identified a potential exposure at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport Hotel, located at 5711 W. Century Blvd., between 11:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. that same day.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is working with local health departments to notify passengers who were seated near the infected traveler on the international flight.
People who were at either location during the listed times could develop symptoms between seven and 21 days after exposure, officials said. The last day to monitor for symptoms is July 2.
AT LEAST 46 CHILDREN DEAD AMID MEASLES OUTBREAK AS VIRUS SPREADS GLOBALLY
Los Angeles International Airport is seen in Los Angeles, California. Health officials said a traveler infected with measles may have exposed passengers at LAX on June 11. (Michael Yanow/NurPhoto)
“As measles cases increase, it is important that residents take steps to make sure they are fully protected,” Los Angeles County Health Officer Dr. Muntu Davis said. “The MMR vaccine is the safest and most reliable way to prevent measles and protect yourself, your family, and your community.”
Travelers exit a terminal at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles on Monday, March 23, 2026. (Ethan Swope/AP Photo)
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Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, followed by a rash that typically begins on the face before spreading to the rest of the body.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health for additional comment but did not receive a response.
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