Satomi Ikeda1, Ai Ikeda1, Kazumasa Yamagishi2,3, Miyuki Hori4, Sachimi Kubo5, Mizuki Sata2,3,6, Chika Okada4, Mitsumasa Umesawa2,7,3, Tomoko Sankai2, Akihiko Kitamura8, Masahiko Kiyama3, Tetsuya Ohira9, Takeshi Tanigawa1, Hiroyasu Iso1,2,4. 1. Department of Public Health, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine. 2. Department of Public Health Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, and Health Services Research Center, University of Tsukuba. 3. Osaka Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention. 4. Public Health, Department of Social Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine. 5. Cohort Study Team, Center for Cluster Development and Coordination, Foundation for Biomedical Research and Innovation at Kobe. 6. Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Keio University School of Medicine. 7. Department of Public Health, Dokkyo Medical University, School of Medicine. 8. Research Team for Social Participation and Community Health, Tokyo Metropolitan Geriatric Hospital. 9. Department of Epidemiology, Fukushima Medical University.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The frequency of laughter has been associated with cardiovascular disease and related biomarkers, but no previous studies have examined association between laughter and changes in blood pressure levels. We sought to identify temporal relationships between frequency of laughter in daily life and systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes in participants from 2010 through 2014. METHODS: Participants were 554 men and 887 women aged 40-74 years who answered self-administered questionnaire quantifying frequency of laughter at baseline. We measured participant blood pressure levels twice using automated sphygmomanometers for each year from 2010 to 2014. The associations between laughter and changes in blood pressure over time were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in blood pressure according to frequency of laughter at baseline in either sex. Men with frequency of laughter 1 to 3 per month or almost never had significantly increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels over the 4-year period (time-dependent difference: 0.96 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.2 to 1.8; P = 0.05). Changes in blood pressure associated with infrequent laughter (ie, 1 to 3 per month or almost never) were evident in men without antihypertensive medication use over 4 years (0.94 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.2 to 2.0; P = 0.09) and men who were current drinkers at baseline (1.29 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.1 to 2.3; P = 0.04). No significant difference was found between frequency of laughter and systolic (0.23 mm Hg; 95% CI, -1.0 to 1.5; P = 0.72) and diastolic (-0.07 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.8 to 0.7; P = 0.86) blood pressure changes in women. CONCLUSIONS: Infrequent laughter was associated with long-term blood pressure increment among middle-aged men.
BACKGROUND: The frequency of laughter has been associated with cardiovascular disease and related biomarkers, but no previous studies have examined association between laughter and changes in blood pressure levels. We sought to identify temporal relationships between frequency of laughter in daily life and systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes in participants from 2010 through 2014. METHODS:Participants were 554 men and 887 women aged 40-74 years who answered self-administered questionnaire quantifying frequency of laughter at baseline. We measured participant blood pressure levels twice using automated sphygmomanometers for each year from 2010 to 2014. The associations between laughter and changes in blood pressure over time were analyzed using linear mixed-effect models. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in blood pressure according to frequency of laughter at baseline in either sex. Men with frequency of laughter 1 to 3 per month or almost never had significantly increased systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels over the 4-year period (time-dependent difference: 0.96 mm Hg (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.2 to 1.8; P = 0.05). Changes in blood pressure associated with infrequent laughter (ie, 1 to 3 per month or almost never) were evident in men without antihypertensive medication use over 4 years (0.94 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.2 to 2.0; P = 0.09) and men who were current drinkers at baseline (1.29 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.1 to 2.3; P = 0.04). No significant difference was found between frequency of laughter and systolic (0.23 mm Hg; 95% CI, -1.0 to 1.5; P = 0.72) and diastolic (-0.07 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.8 to 0.7; P = 0.86) blood pressure changes in women. CONCLUSIONS: Infrequent laughter was associated with long-term blood pressure increment among middle-aged men.