New study finds that laughter quite literally is the best medicine for your heart
As part of the study, 26 people who were diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease with an average age of 64 years were selected.
A recent study has revealed findings which suggest that laughter has a positive impact on the heart by inducing the expansion of heart tissue and enhancing oxygen circulation throughout the body. The findings are from an experiment to explore the potential benefits of laughter therapy in addressing heart disease symptoms.
The study focused mostly on people who were diagnosed with Coronary Artery Disease, a condition resulting from the accumulation of plaque within the arteries supplying blood to the heart. As part of the study, 26 people with an average age of 64, who were diagnosed with this disease were selected.
Over a period of three months, the participants were divided into two groups to understand the linkages between laughter and heart health. One of the groups watched hour-long comedy programmes twice a week, while the other group watched serious documentaries on topics for instance, politics and the Amazon rainforest.
The result of the experiment at the end of the 3 months was that the group which watched the hour-long comedy programmes had significant improvement in heart health compared to those who watched serious programmes and documentaries.
As per the study findings, the cardiovascular system’s functional capacity was increased by 10%. The conclusion was reached following a test measuring the heart’s ability to pump oxygen throughout the body. Additionally, this group exhibited improved arterial expansion. Blood tests conducted to measure inflammatory biomarkers demonstrated a significant reduction in plaque-related inflammation. This implied that there was a decreased risk of heart attack or stroke.
Lead author Prof Marco Saffi of Brazil’s Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre said, “When patients with coronary artery disease arrive at hospital, they have a lot of inflammatory biomarkers. Inflammation is a huge part of the process of atherosclerosis, when plaque builds up in the arteries.” After looking at the study findings, Saffi added, “This study found that laughter therapy is a good intervention that could help reduce that inflammation and decrease the risk of heart attack and stroke.”
“Laughter therapy could be implemented in institutions and health systems like the NHS for patients at risk of heart problems,” he said adding, “It does not have to be TV programmes – people with heart disease could be invited to comedy evenings, or encouraged to enjoy fun evenings with friends and family. People should try to do things that make them laugh at least twice a week.”
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