Laughter is the best medicine. What once was clichéd is now documented thanks to research recently done at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

In a paper presented at the Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, the researchers demonstrated how laughter can actually trigger changes in the body that can help to combat a variety of health problems, from hardening of the arteries and high blood pressure to possibly even heart attacks and strokes.

The study involved 20 non-smoking, healthy volunteers who were shown both humorous (“There’s Something About Mary”” and non-humorous (“Saving Private Ryan”) movies. Ultrasound was used on the volunteers during the movies to gauge blood flow. Researchers found that those watching the humorous movies had a 22 percent increase in blood flow due to the dilation of the inner linings of their blood vessels (a tissue known as endothelium). Those watching the non-humorous, stressful movies had a 35% decrease in blood flow.

While researchers weren’t able to determine if the changes in the endothelium were a result of chemical or muscle actions, it is an interesting finding in terms of cardiovascular health. “The magnitude of change we saw is similar to the benefits we might see with aerobic activity, but without the aches, pains and muscle tension associated with exercise,” said lead researcher Dr. Michael Miller. Dr. Miller was quick to stress that it is still important to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes three times a week.

While no one is advocating movies over movement quite yet, you’ve got to wonder if the day is coming when “I’m going to the gym” will be trumped by “I’m going to the multi-plex.” Now we just have to convince the insurance industry to cover movie passes.

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