Can Laughter Help Your Heart?

Heart disease, particularly a heart attack, can feel like it comes out of nowhere. However, the truth is that certain behaviors put us at risk—and changing those behaviors is largely within our control. More than 90% of heart disease risk can be attributed to nine factors that are influenced by our daily habits.

“In an ideal world, people would stay on top of all nine risk factors, but it's more realistic to start with one and improve it,” says Columbia cardiologist Andrew Einstein, MD, PhD. “Do what you can. Every healthy change will help your heart and can lower your risk for other diseases, like cancer.”

Nine ways to reduce heart attack risk

According to a global study of people of all ages, these nine factors make up 90% of the heart attack risk in men and 94% of the risk in women. Addressing any of these can help prevent heart attacks.

• smoking
• high cholesterol
• history of high blood pressure
• diabetes
• obesity
• eating too few fruits and vegetables
• regularly drinking alcohol
• too little physical activity
• psychosocial stressors

Whichever factors you focus on—from limiting alcohol to eating more produce—a positive outlook can boost your efforts. Studies have shown that embracing more happiness and laughter is good for your heart and overall health.

“Heart attacks are largely preventable,” adds Dr. Einstein, who explains how positivity can help lower your risk.

Is there a link between positivity and cardiovascular health?

Yes. Being happy is connected to eating better (including more fruit and vegetables), exercising, and other heart-healthy behaviors. Often, being joyful is something that you can control. Although life is full of events that cause stress, which is linked to increased heart attack risk, finding ways to get through them is vital.

How do joy and laughter help the body?

Lowering stress, along with eating well, avoiding tobacco, and exercising, helps promote the health of your endothelium, which is the layer of cells that lines your arteries and veins. A healthy endothelium improves blood flow (circulating nutrients throughout the body) and lowers the risk of clots and plaque.

Studies show that joy, laughter, and other positive emotions can improve endothelial function and promote cardiovascular health in the following ways:

• Triggering the release of nitric oxide, which helps relax blood vessel walls, improving blood flow
• Reducing stress hormones like cortisol
• Lowering inflammation in the arteries
• Increasing good cholesterol (HDL) in the blood
• Improving mood, which promotes better lifestyle choices and behaviors, like eating well and getting enough sleep

Should joy and laughter be part of a heart health routine?

Yes. Embracing activities that bring joy and laughter to your day can improve cardiovascular health, especially when combined with other good habits like eating right and avoiding tobacco.

Finding joy in even one activity—from taking a scenic walk to meeting friends for game night—can have health benefits. If you enjoy entertainment (such TV, movies, or music), pick shows or songs that make you laugh, or at least smile, instead of violent or intense ones that elicit negative emotions.

What do you wish everyone knew about cardiovascular health?

Simply being careful about your daily habits and modifying risk factors can have tremendous potential to decrease your risk of coronary artery disease.

Andrew J. Einstein, MD, PhD, is a professor of medicine (in Radiology), cardiologist, cardiac imager, and researcher at Columbia.