Having a laugh twice a week could help reduce risk of heart disease, trial finds

The trial found a good old giggle cuts inflammation and increases the heart's capacity to pump oxygen around the body

Having a good laugh twice a week could help reduce the risk of heart disease.

The first ever trial measuring its effects on symptoms has found a good old giggle cuts inflammation and increases the heart’s capacity to pump oxygen around the body.

Of 26 coronary artery disease patients with an average age of 64, half were asked to watch two hour-long comedy shows on TV each week and the rest watched documentaries.

After 12 weeks the comedy group had a 10% boost in their VO2 max test measuring how much oxygen the heart can pump around the body. Their arteries could expand better and they had less plaque building up in blood vessels than the documentary group.

Lead author Professor Marco Saffi, of the Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre in Brazil, said: “Our 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 health systems like the NHS for patients at risk of heart problems.”

Heart disease affects 7.6million people across the country and causes one in four of all UK deaths, at 160,000 a year.

Professor James Leiper, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “While this study reveals the interesting possibility that laughter could in fact be a therapy for coronary artery disease, this small trial will need to be replicated to get a better understanding of how laughter therapy may be helping these patients.

“It’s encouraging to see that something so simple and widespread could benefit our health.”

Heart disease occurs when the heart’s blood supply is blocked or interrupted by a build-up of fatty substances in the coronary arteries, potentially causing deadly heart attacks.

Patients with heart disease often experience day-to-day symptoms including chest pain and shortness of breath, and are also at risk of heart failure.

Medication such as statins can help, and some patients need surgery to widen the artery.

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