It was actually the opposite, people who were prayed for fared more poorly. http://web.med.harvard.edu/sites/RELEASES/html/3_31STEP.html

It’s hard to prove using science, that - which is discernable by faith only. Ever wondered how can a bumblebee fly? Scientifically, is impossible, because its body is way too big for the size of the wings. So how come it flies? It seams that science forgot to tell this to bumblebee…

Po Bronson wrote a very touching story about this subject and a researcher intimately involved with it. Sadly, it appears that the 'prayer helps' studies were flawed....:-(.... http://www.pobronson.com/A_Prayer_Before_Dying.htm

Any study on that matter will be inherently flawed, because there is no way to accurately quantify prayer. Prayer is not a physical substance that can be measured, a person's brain produces no specific waves when in prayer. Faith and science cannot be effectively merged. And even if they could, prayer, as described in almost every religion, is suppose to be a private and personal experience, so could it not be said that by asking people to keep a record of their prayer removes that aspect and therefor disqualifies any meaning it could have had? Also, if the beliefs of the person praying can have an effect on the state of their subject, then by that same principle, the beliefs of the researchers involved, not to mention be beliefs of every single person who comes into awareness even remotely with the study, the subject, or any related aspect, effect the state of the subject and the outcome of the study? It cannot simply be said that "People who are prayed for fare better", because prayer cannot unbiasedly be said to be any more powerful or influntial than any other belief, and if you take into account the power of prayer, then you must also quantify and take into account the synergy of the specific thoughts and beliefs of all those involved, and theoretically, even those parties who are not. Which I am %100 sure the study you are refering to did not.

Prayer is bakty yoga. That's why it is helpfull.