REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA—Laughter can not only bring happiness, but also make the body healthy. Frequent people laugh tend to have lower levels of cardiac inflammation and heart health better.
The benefits of laughter for heart health are revealed in a study presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam, Netherlands. This study involved 26 participants with an average age of 64 years. All participants were diagnosed with coronary heart disease.
During the study, the participants were divided into two groups. The first group was asked to watch two one-hour television comedy shows each week. Meanwhile, the second group was asked to watch documentaries on serious topics such as politics or the Amazon rainforest every week.
After 12 weeks, the research team found that participants in the first group who watched the comedy show experienced significant improvements in heart health. The amount of oxygen that could be pumped around their bodies by their hearts increased by 10 percent.
The research team also found an improvement in the ability of arteries or blood vessels to dilate in participants who received “laughter therapy” by watching comedy shows. Not only that, inflammation markers in this group also experienced a significant decrease when compared to the second group.
“Inflammation has a big role in the process of atherosclerosis, namely the buildup of plaque in the arteries,” said the head of the research team from the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Prof. Marco Saffi, as reported by The Guardian on Wednesday (30/8/2023).
Prof. Saffi revealed that coronary heart disease patients who come to the hospital have many markers of inflammation. This study, continued Prof. Saffi, shows that laugh therapy can be a good intervention for heart disease patients. “(Laughter therapy is a good intervention) which can help reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke,” added Prof. Saffi, as reported by WebMD.
According to Prof. Saffi, laughter therapy can be implemented in institutions and health care systems. Laughter therapy can be used for patients who are at risk for various heart health problems.
In addition, Prof. Saffi revealed that laughter therapy doesn’t have to be done by watching comedy shows on television. The patients can do laughter therapy in many ways, including watching comedy shows stand up or spend a fun, laugh-filled time with friends and family. “People need to try various things that make them laugh, at least twice a week,” said Prof. Saffi.
According to Prof. Saffi, laughter can be healthy for the heart because laughing releases endorphins in the body. The presence of these endorphins can help reduce inflammation and help relax the heart and blood vessels.
In addition, laughter can reduce levels of stress hormones. As is known, stress hormones often put more pressure on the heart. “Laughter in general helps people feel happier, and we know, when people are happier they tend to be more obedient to taking drugs,” said Prof. Saffi.
2023-08-30 06:11:11
#Laughter #Boost #Heart #Health #Republic #Online
