Scientists find connection between laughter and health in old age

Scientists of Nagoya University in Japan concluded that older people who do not laugh in everyday life, the risk that subsequently they will not be able to serve themselves and they would need outside assistance increases by 1.4 times.

The study and the reasons for this phenomenon to the correspondent of RIA Novosti said the head of group assistant Professor, Department of preventive medicine Department of medical research, Nagoya University Kenji Takeuchi.

Kenji Takeuchi for three years spent observing people over 65. The experiment involved 14 233. The task was to identify the correlation between the frequency of laughter and the ability to retain the power to self-serve themselves, without the need for outside help, laughter and death. All subjects divided into four groups depending on how often they laugh in a loud voice. The results showed that the risk of losing the ability to move and maintain itself, those who confessed that he almost laughs, increasing 1.4 times compared with those who laugh practically every day. Similar results were seen for the first time in the world.

Kenji Takeuchi believes that the mechanism of this phenomenon might be sought in improving immunity.

"There is evidence that frequent laughter leads to improved immune function and stimulation of blood circulation. I think that the same mechanism operates in the case of a General condition, when the need for assistance arises or the person costs on their own in everyday life. In this case study, we for the criterion took the degree of dependence on outside help when a person cannot get up and walk. He needed assistance himself," the scientist told RIA Novosti.

In this case, the phase of the study, namely the relationship between how often a person laughs, and the age of death could not be established. In the future, scientists hope that they will be able to use the study results to forecast future changes in the condition of an older person.
How were you able to confirm that older people who laugh a little increase the risk of loss of independence in the future, "this indicates that the probability of early prediction of this condition depends on the reduce the frequency of laughter," scientists say.