Laughyer the best medicine

[Guest guest]

Study shows why laughter is the best medicine

2005-03-07

 

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Watching a funny movie appears to improve blood vessel function,

which may help explain why having a good laugh appears to have

numerous health benefits, according to new findings released Monday.

 

In contrast, investigators found that when viewers watched a

disturbing scene from war movie " Saving Private Ryan, " their blood

vessel function appeared to deteriorate, suggesting that mental

stress can take its toll on the body.

 

Something " that is easy to do, economical, never been shown to hurt

you, is something we should do every day, " study author Dr. Michael

Miller of the University of Maryland in Baltimore told Reuters

Health.

 

" Get a good laugh in every day, " he said. " I think it's good for

you. "

 

Miller and his colleagues presented their findings during the

meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida.

 

Previous research has linked laughter to a series of health

benefits. For instance, a group of researchers in Japan found that

people with type 2 diabetes -- the most common form of the disease --

had a smaller rise in post-meal blood sugar when they watched a

comedy show than when they listened to a humorless lecture.

 

Still other research found that simply looking forward to having a

good laugh can boost the immune system and reduce stress.

 

For the current study, Miller and his colleagues measured blood

vessel functioning in 20 non-smoking, healthy participants. To check

their blood vessels, the researchers put a cuff on the arm to

constrict vessels, then released the cuff. Blood vessels that dilate

more after this test typically have a healthy lining, called

endothelium. " The healthier the vessel, the more it opens up, "

Miller said in an interview.

 

For instance, healthy blood vessels are less likely to form clots,

he noted. If people have poor endothelial health, they are more

likely to experience a worsening of heart disease, Miller added.

 

The researchers asked every participant to watch both the opening

scene of " Saving Private Ryan " and part of the comedy " King Pin, "

and retested their blood vessel function after each movie.

 

Miller said that after " Saving Private Ryan " -- a movie that can

make viewers feel " pretty stressed out " -- he found that

participants' blood vessels opened up less after the cuff test than

they had at baseline. But after watching " King Pin, " the opposite

was true -- their blood vessels opened up more than they had during

the baseline cuff test.

 

He explained that when our bodies are stressed, we produce hormones

that may cause changes in the endothelium. Previous research

suggests that the effects of stress last around 45 minutes, but if

stress is unrelenting, it may help permanently alter the blood

vessels, Miller said.

 

" Having a healthy endothelium is quite important, " he said.

 

 

 

 

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Copyright 2003 Reuters.