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Laugh your way to heart health

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By MARY SHEDDEN

mshedden@tampatrib.com

Published: September 12, 2009

Need to relax? Take two comedies and call me in the morning.

It appears laughter can help increase the amount of blood moving through the arteries, and thus improve blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease, studies presented to the American College of Medicine show.

In one study, healthy adults in a small group were asked to watch either a comedy or documentary, and they were monitored for carotid artery activity. Arterial compliance - or the amount of blood that moves through the arteries - was improved a full 24 hours after people saw the funny film.

"Laughing is likely not the complete solution to a healthy heart, but it appears to contribute to positive effects," says lead researcher Jun Sugawara.

A second study enforced the notion that comedies were healthful. In it, those assigned to watch a comedy had diluted blood vessels. Researchers found that watching a documentary constricted blood vessels by 18 percent. Blood pressure increases when blood vessels are constricted.

"Not only did comedies improve vascular dilation, but watching a documentary about a depressing subject was actually harmful to the blood vessels," says Takashi Tarumi, lead researcher.

Mary Shedden

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