Role of laughter in cardiac wellness

Laughter can be one of the best medicines for heart health. Laughter not only boosts your mental well-being but it can also improve your overall health, especially cardiac and vascular health, according to experts.

The anti-stress busting factor associated with laughter is one of the key factors that is being attributed to its ‘soothing effect’ on your heart.

How laughter keeps your heart healthy

Experts point out that laughter or mirthful laughter can often trigger the release of feel-good hormones that can send signals to the brain and induce an overall positive feeling in the person. This leads to better blood circulation which has a direct bearing on your cardiac health.

“Laughter has a positive impact on cardiac health. Laughter helps release positive hormones like endorphin, nitric oxide, which have blood vessel dilating properties, which can help improve blood flow and maintain reduced blood pressure,” says Dr. Pradeep Haranahalli, Consultant- Interventional Cardiologist, Manipal Hospital, Whitefield, Bengaluru.

Dr. Priya Palmikar, Interventional cardiologist, Sahyadri Hospital, Pune, explains that laughter also reduces the level of stress hormones like cortisol. She also adds that it can reduce the chances of any inflammation in the arteries and could be beneficial for the individual in the long run.

There is also a reduction in the inflammation of the arteries which helps in the improvement of blood flow to the heart cells.   According to a research article published in the Journal of Epidemiology, a study conducted in Japan reviewed cross sectional data of 20,934 individuals above the age of 65 and their cardiovascular disease risk history. The researchers concluded that daily, frequent laughter lowers the risk of cardiovascular conditions. It also concluded that people who laugh less or not at all have 1.21 percent more chances of developing heart diseases than those who laugh more.

Laughter reduces the production of stress hormones

“Stress is a risk factor for developing coronary artery disease or a heart attack. Stress reduction by laughter is a means of improvement of heart health,” says Dr. Palmikar.

“Even when I am stressed because of other reasons or cannot sleep well, when I wake up and laugh with my friends, I always have a good day,” says Mr. Gurumurthy,  a 68 year old retired bank official.

“Negative emotions can impact cardiac health negatively. It increases the chance of blood pressure, overeating, etc. Whereas laughter can impact your health positively. It keeps the heart rate in control, improves blood flow and reduces blood pressure,” says Dr. Haranahalli. 

Laughing your way to heart health

Dr. Haranahalli suggests that one should have a good work-life balance, indulge more in their hobbies, and manage their stress levels; all things that make an individual happy. 

“I have met so many new people and families through laughter yoga. They are very helpful when I need any kind of help. Laughter yoga has benefited me in many ways,” says Gurumurthy, “I have a group of friends and we all stand in circles and laugh. We wake up early, go on long walks together, have good conversations and do laughter yoga. I also go to the US a lot, so I have a group there as well. We met through an association, and we all laugh about all things,” Gurumurthy says. He also adds that he is a teetotaller and also makes it a point to stay positive in life.

Mr. H Manjunath, a 53-year-old who works as an office assistant at KSRTC Bengaluru, leads a stress-free life even after he had a blocked valve in April 2022. He had a stent put in one valve as it was completely blocked. He keeps himself happy by spending time with his family and leading a good work-life balance. He says that he feels much better when he is laughing and happy, than being stressed.

In an earlier interaction with Happiest Health, Dr Santosh Sahi who runs Delhi Academy of Laughter Yoga points out that complementary therapies like laughter yoga could be vital for managing conditions like diabetes too. She also adds that the laughter should always come from the stomach exerting abdominal muscles.

Takeaways

Laughter is indeed the best medicine when it comes to an array of health conditions including cardiovascular diseases. Experts point out that laughter helps reduce stress and could improve blood circulation which has a positive impact on cardiac wellness. Laughter also leads to the release of feel-good hormones like oxytocin and reduces the production of stress inducing hormones like cortisol.