1.
Future galaxy collision predicted
ORLANDO, Fla., March 7 (UPI) -- University of Maryland researchers say laughter is linked to healthy functioning of blood vessels.
The researchers relied on laughter-provoking movies to gauge the effect of emotions on cardiovascular health.
They said laughter appears to cause the tissue that forms the inner lining of blood vessels, the endothelium, to dilate or expand in order to increase blood flow.
When the same group of study volunteers was shown a movie that produced mental stress, their blood vessel lining developed a potentially unhealthy response called vasoconstriction, reducing blood flow.
The results of the study were presented Monday at the Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida.
"The endothelium is the first line in the development of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, so, given the results of our study, it is conceivable that laughing may be important to maintain a healthy endothelium, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease," said principal investigator Michael Miller.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Additional Science News Stories | |
BOSTON, May 31 (UPI) --
A U.S. appeals court panel in Boston ruled Thursday that the federal Defense of Marriage Act cannot affect gay marriages in states that permit them.
|
OSLO, Norway, May 31 (UPI) --
Dozens of teenage girls suffered minor injuries during a stampede at a Justin Bieber concert in Oslo, Norway, officials said Thursday.
|
BALTIMORE, May 31 (UPI) --
U.S. astronomers are forecasting the Milky Way will have a violent collision with the neighboring Andromeda galaxy in about 4 billion years.
|
NORTHAMPTON, Mass., May 31 (UPI) --
A Massachusetts woman said she investigated bird sounds in her yard and discovered a baby cardinal with two heads and three beaks.
|
| Stories | Photos | People | Comments |
View Caption
