The age-old saying that “laughter is the best medicine” might hold a grain of truth when considering heart health.

A recent study has revealed that having a good laugh prompts the tissue within the heart to expand, subsequently enhancing the circulation of oxygen throughout the body.

The research observed that patients with coronary artery disease who participated in a series of laughter therapy sessions experienced a reduction in inflammation and an improvement in their overall health.

Lead author Prof Marco Saffi, from the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre in Brazil, commented, “Our study uncovered that laughter therapy bolstered the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system.”

These findings were unveiled at the annual gathering of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam, which is the largest cardiovascular conference in the world.