Laughter helps blood vessels function better

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

When people are exposed to funny movies, their blood vessels function better.
The endothelium, which is the inner lining of the blood vessels, plays an active role in heart disease. It helps vessels relax and contract as well as regulating blood flow. Researchers at the University of Maryland now reveal that laughter can have a healthy impact on the endothelium.

They had a group of healthy volunteers watch two movies. One, the opening sequence of 'Saving Private Ryan', was meant to induce mental stress, while the other, 'King Pin', was funny. They found that endothelial functioning changed depending on which movie was viewed.

'Saving Private Ryan' was linked to reduced blood flow while the laughter induced by 'King Pin' had the opposite effect. In fact blood flow went down 35 per cent during mental stress and up by 22 per cent during laughter. If these changes apply to everyday life, then it suggests taking a light-hearted approach may benefit your heart. However, further research is now needed to find out exactly why laughter has this effect on the endothelium.

Source
American College of Cardiology meeting 7th March 2005