Question
Take Time For Laughter
Take Time For Laughter
Are you interested in living to a ripe old age? Do you want to be certain that you avoid the health pitfalls that can lead to heart disease? Do you know one of the best things you can do for yourself each day? Exercise? Certainly. Avoid saturated fat? Definitely. Laugh? Absolutely! That's right. "The old saying that 'laughter is the best medicine' definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart," says Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
The results of the first study that indicates laughter and humor may help prevent heart disease were presented on November 15, 2000, at a meeting of the American Heart Association. Cardiologists at the University of Maryland in Baltimore conducted the study, which included 300 people, evenly divided between people with healthy hearts and those who had heart disease. All filled out questionnaires. Their answers showed that those with heart problems were 40 percent less likely to laugh at situations in everyday life and more likely to respond hostilely. The questionnaire items indicated a person's usual response to certain life situations. For example, one of the items asked for a true or false response to the statement "I am likely not to talk to people until they speak to me." The multiple-choice questions offered a range of reactions to common situations, such as having a waiter spill a drink on you. The participants with health problems were less able to recognize the humor in such situations and less likely to respond to them with amusement. They appeared less able to use humor as a device to help them adapt and to ease stress. Of course, the researchers have acknowledged that the people with heart problems may have been less likely to laugh because of those very problems.
Research has established that mental stress is associated with damage to the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. Such damage can lead to the buildup of fat and cholesterol in the coronary arteries and can ultimately lead to a heart attack. Recently, researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center tested the effects of laughter on the endothelium. This time, all 20 of the volunteers had healthy hearts. They were shown scenes from a funny movie to cause them to laugh, and their reactions were monitored. Laughter apparently causes the endothelium to expand in order to increase blood flow. Amazingly, the benefit of the laughter was similar to that of aerobic exercise. After watching the funny scenes, the blood vessels of 19 of the 20 volunteers had relaxed. When they were shown a frightening movie that caused stress, the endothelium constricted. After the movie, 14 of the 20 showed a reduced blood flow. This supports earlier scientific findings, which indicated that mental stress causes blood vessels to narrow.
Laughter benefits us in a variety of ways other than increasing blood flow. It lowers our blood pressure, it increases our oxygen intake, which helps us heal, and it increases our endorphin levels — the hormones that make us feel good and help us deal with pain. It is very possible that laughter helps to boost our immune systems, too. Laughing offers the midsections of our bodies a physical workout, and it even helps us burn calories, just as though we were spending a few minutes on an exercise bike. (And it's no wonder; laughing uses a wide range of muscles — from those in the diaphragm to those in the face and legs.) It also gives us a sense of proportion and helps us deal with the trials of daily life. Laughter helps us release anger and sadness instead of storing those emotions.
Despite the benefits of laughter, many of us appear in need of it. Children in nursery school laugh about 300 times a day, while adults laugh an average of 17 times a day. The research into the benefits of laughter, however, has not gone unnoticed. "Laughter therapy," for example, is a new way of helping people cope with pain, both physical and psychological. Perhaps the legendary comedian Groucho Marx put it best: "A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast."
Dr. Miller suggests that laughter, like other heart-healthy activities such as exercise and proper diet, should be added to our daily regimen. His recommendation is fifteen minutes of laughter each day. So, we should watch the shows and read the books that amuse us and spend time with the friends and family who make us laugh. And, when we do so, there is no need to feel guilty that we are wasting time that we should be spending more profitably. After all, we are following the doctor's orders and doing something positive for our health. Put up a reminder note on the bathroom mirror or the refrigerator door or wherever you will see it often. Take time for laughter; it's a matter of life and health.
Two-Part Question
Part A
Multiple Choice Question
Which statement BEST expresses the central idea of the passage?
A.
Laughter can significantly increase blood flow.
B.
Laughter can help improve physical health.
C.
People who spend time with friends laugh more.
D.
People who laugh more are far less hostile.
Part B
Multiple Choice Question
What evidence does the author use to support the central idea identified in Part A?
A.
"Of course, the researchers have acknowledged that the people with heart problems may have been less likely to laugh because of those very problems." (paragraph 2)
B.
"The participants with health problems were less able to recognize the humor in such situations and less likely to respond to them with amusement." (paragraph 2)
C.
"Research has established that mental stress is associated with damage to the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels." (paragraph 3)
D.
"Laughter benefits us in a variety of ways other than increasing blood flow. It lowers our blood pressure, and it increases our oxygen intake..." (paragraph 4)
Take Time For Laughter
Are you interested in living to a ripe old age? Do you want to be certain that you avoid the health pitfalls that can lead to heart disease? Do you know one of the best things you can do for yourself each day? Exercise? Certainly. Avoid saturated fat? Definitely. Laugh? Absolutely! That's right. "The old saying that 'laughter is the best medicine' definitely appears to be true when it comes to protecting your heart," says Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
The results of the first study that indicates laughter and humor may help prevent heart disease were presented on November 15, 2000, at a meeting of the American Heart Association. Cardiologists at the University of Maryland in Baltimore conducted the study, which included 300 people, evenly divided between people with healthy hearts and those who had heart disease. All filled out questionnaires. Their answers showed that those with heart problems were 40 percent less likely to laugh at situations in everyday life and more likely to respond hostilely. The questionnaire items indicated a person's usual response to certain life situations. For example, one of the items asked for a true or false response to the statement "I am likely not to talk to people until they speak to me." The multiple-choice questions offered a range of reactions to common situations, such as having a waiter spill a drink on you. The participants with health problems were less able to recognize the humor in such situations and less likely to respond to them with amusement. They appeared less able to use humor as a device to help them adapt and to ease stress. Of course, the researchers have acknowledged that the people with heart problems may have been less likely to laugh because of those very problems.
Research has established that mental stress is associated with damage to the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels. Such damage can lead to the buildup of fat and cholesterol in the coronary arteries and can ultimately lead to a heart attack. Recently, researchers at the University of Maryland Medical Center tested the effects of laughter on the endothelium. This time, all 20 of the volunteers had healthy hearts. They were shown scenes from a funny movie to cause them to laugh, and their reactions were monitored. Laughter apparently causes the endothelium to expand in order to increase blood flow. Amazingly, the benefit of the laughter was similar to that of aerobic exercise. After watching the funny scenes, the blood vessels of 19 of the 20 volunteers had relaxed. When they were shown a frightening movie that caused stress, the endothelium constricted. After the movie, 14 of the 20 showed a reduced blood flow. This supports earlier scientific findings, which indicated that mental stress causes blood vessels to narrow.
Laughter benefits us in a variety of ways other than increasing blood flow. It lowers our blood pressure, it increases our oxygen intake, which helps us heal, and it increases our endorphin levels — the hormones that make us feel good and help us deal with pain. It is very possible that laughter helps to boost our immune systems, too. Laughing offers the midsections of our bodies a physical workout, and it even helps us burn calories, just as though we were spending a few minutes on an exercise bike. (And it's no wonder; laughing uses a wide range of muscles — from those in the diaphragm to those in the face and legs.) It also gives us a sense of proportion and helps us deal with the trials of daily life. Laughter helps us release anger and sadness instead of storing those emotions.
Despite the benefits of laughter, many of us appear in need of it. Children in nursery school laugh about 300 times a day, while adults laugh an average of 17 times a day. The research into the benefits of laughter, however, has not gone unnoticed. "Laughter therapy," for example, is a new way of helping people cope with pain, both physical and psychological. Perhaps the legendary comedian Groucho Marx put it best: "A clown is like an aspirin, only he works twice as fast."
Dr. Miller suggests that laughter, like other heart-healthy activities such as exercise and proper diet, should be added to our daily regimen. His recommendation is fifteen minutes of laughter each day. So, we should watch the shows and read the books that amuse us and spend time with the friends and family who make us laugh. And, when we do so, there is no need to feel guilty that we are wasting time that we should be spending more profitably. After all, we are following the doctor's orders and doing something positive for our health. Put up a reminder note on the bathroom mirror or the refrigerator door or wherever you will see it often. Take time for laughter; it's a matter of life and health.
Two-Part Question
Part A
Multiple Choice Question
Which statement BEST expresses the central idea of the passage?
A.
Laughter can significantly increase blood flow.
B.
Laughter can help improve physical health.
C.
People who spend time with friends laugh more.
D.
People who laugh more are far less hostile.
Part B
Multiple Choice Question
What evidence does the author use to support the central idea identified in Part A?
A.
"Of course, the researchers have acknowledged that the people with heart problems may have been less likely to laugh because of those very problems." (paragraph 2)
B.
"The participants with health problems were less able to recognize the humor in such situations and less likely to respond to them with amusement." (paragraph 2)
C.
"Research has established that mental stress is associated with damage to the endothelium, the protective barrier lining our blood vessels." (paragraph 3)
D.
"Laughter benefits us in a variety of ways other than increasing blood flow. It lowers our blood pressure, and it increases our oxygen intake..." (paragraph 4)
Answers
GPT-4o mini
**Part A:**
The statement that BEST expresses the central idea of the passage is:
**B. Laughter can help improve physical health.**
**Part B:**
The evidence the author uses to support the central idea identified in Part A is:
**D. "Laughter benefits us in a variety of ways other than increasing blood flow. It lowers our blood pressure, and it increases our oxygen intake..." (paragraph 4)**
The statement that BEST expresses the central idea of the passage is:
**B. Laughter can help improve physical health.**
**Part B:**
The evidence the author uses to support the central idea identified in Part A is:
**D. "Laughter benefits us in a variety of ways other than increasing blood flow. It lowers our blood pressure, and it increases our oxygen intake..." (paragraph 4)**