In the infancy of this blog I posted some research discussing the effects of Islamic prayer on bone mineral density (BMD). It quickly became, and still is, my most popular blog post, and as such I keep a close eye on related research. Silly me, however, forgot the most simple of ways to do this, checking citations on Google Scholar, and when it occurred to me today I immediately found some follow up research of interest. Let me refresh your memory as to the thesis of the original article:

In this study, the aim was to search the effects of prayer on knee, hip OA [osteoarthritis] and OP [osteoporosis] by evaluating joint space width measurements and Kellgren and Lawrence (K&L) scale of knee and hip, bone mineral density (BMD), laboratory parameters and clinical findings.

These scientists found that BMD of the lumbar spine of female worshipers was significantly decreased.

Now, let us fast forward to a letter to the editor , written by Nurettin Heybeli, found in the May issue of Rheumatology International. Heybeli, of the Trakya University School of Medicine in Turkey, asserted that the true culprit may not be the act of prayer itself, but a tangentially related object. In light of an article published in the same journal in April of 2008, entitled The impact of clothing style on bone mineral density among women in Turkey, he claims that it is veiled clothing that is the real culprit.

According to this article, the veiled clothing that is required of worshipping Muslim women in Turkey may have an adverse effect on BMD. It appears that the clothing interferes with sun exposure, and because sun exposure is thought to play a key role in the development of bone strength, these women are being put at a distinct risk for bone weakness. It’s not the prayer, but what is required of the individual doing the praying. This is why there was no observed BMD loss in male individuals.

(References)

Heybeli, N, 2008, 'Effect of prayer on osteoarthritis and osteoporosis: any difference between men and women?', Rheumatology International, vol. 28, no. 12, pp. 1291-1292. 10.1007/s00296-008-0620-x

Hayirlioglu, D, Gokaslan, H, Cimsit, C & Serin, N, 2008, 'The impact of clothing style on bone mineral density among women in Turkey', Rheumatology International, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 521-525. 10.1007/s00296-007-0481-8