Laughter is the Best Medicine? A Cross-Sectional Study of Cardiovascular Disease Among Older Japanese Adults.

Kei Hayashi,Naoki Kondo,Kokoro Shirai,Tetsuya Ohira,Ichiro Kawachi,Katsunori Kondo

doi:10.2188/jea.je20150196

Abstract

BackgroundWe sought to evaluate the associations between frequency of daily laughter with heart disease and stroke among community-dwelling older Japanese women and men.MethodsWe analyzed cross-sectional data in 20 934 individuals (10 206 men and 10 728 women) aged 65 years or older, who participated in the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study in 2013. In the mail-in survey, participants provided information on daily frequency of laughter, as well as body mass index, demographic and lifestyle factors, and diagnoses of cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and depression.ResultsEven after adjustment for hyperlipidemia, hypertension, depression, body mass index, and other risk factors, the prevalence of heart diseases among those who never or almost never laughed was 1.21 (95% CI, −1.03–1.41) times higher than those who reported laughing every day. The adjusted prevalence ratio for stroke was 1.60 (95% CI, 1.24–2.06).ConclusionsDaily frequency of laughter is associated with lower prevalence of cardiovascular diseases. The association could not be explained by confounding factors, such as depressive symptoms.

Highlights

Laughter is increasingly recognized for its potential health benefits, including ameliorating symptoms of depression,[1] dementia,[2] and insomnia.[3]
People who reported having been diagnosed with stroke or hypertension had lower frequency of laughter; this was not true for those who reported being diagnosed with hyperlipidemia
These prevalence ratios (PRs) were attenuated by the successive addition of covariates, even in the fully adjusted model, we found associations between daily frequency of laughter and the two cardiovascular diseases, with adjusted PRs of 1.21 for heart disease and 1.60 for stroke

Summary

Introduction

Laughter is increasingly recognized for its potential health benefits, including ameliorating symptoms of depression,[1] dementia,[2] and insomnia.[3]. Laughter is believed to improve vascular function,[9,10] but most of these studies have been limited to studying the effect of laughter on intermediate outcomes, such as arterial stiffness and endothelial function. Most of these studies are intervention studies, and the effect of laughter in daily life is unclear. In the mail-in survey, participants provided information on daily frequency of laughter, as well as body mass index, demographic and lifestyle factors, and diagnoses of cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, and depression. The association could not be explained by confounding factors, such as depressive symptoms

Methods

Results

Conclusion