If you’ve ever said, “Laughter is the best medicine,” you were right!
A new study by a hospital in Brazil has found that having a good laugh can cause the heart to expand, letting more oxygen flow through the body.
Marco Saffi, a professor at the hospital, presented his team’s findings at the meeting of the European Society of Cardiology. “Cardiology” is the study of heart health.
Their test involved 26 adults who had a kind of heart disease. Half of them were asked to watch comedy shows for three months. The other half watched serious documentaries during the same time.
The comedy group showed a 10 per cent increase in how much oxygen their heart pumped to their bodies.
“This study found that laughter therapy is a good idea that could help decrease the risk of heart attacks,” Marco says. “Laughter therapy could be used in hospitals for patients at risk of heart problems.”
It does not have to be TV programmes, he says. “People with heart disease could be invited to comedy shows, 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.”
Quiz time
1. Where did this study take place?
2. Why does laughing help the heart?
3. What kind of TV programmes did the patients watch?
4. Who can benefit from this study’s results?
5. How often should people try to laugh every week?
