Laughing Lowers Blood Pressure

The news about high blood pressure keeps getting better. Readers learned a few weeks ago that napping can lower blood pressure; now come a report that laughing can drop it seven points. US News & World Report tells us that Japanese researchers divided 79 adults, aged 40 to 74, into three groups: one that listened to  one-hour music sessions every two weeks, one that participated in laughter yoga sessions (a combination of breathing exercises and laughter stimulated through playful eye contact — and listening to Rakugo, Japanese sit-down comedy), and one group that did nothing. The researchers found that, when measured immediately after the sessions, blood pressures were 6 mm Hg lower in the music group and 7 mm Hg lower among the laughter participants compared to measurements taken just prior to the sessions. The researchers found that Improvements in blood pressure were still seen if the exercises were continued for three months.

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