DISEASE PREVENTION

Laughter can reduce our risk of cancer, according to research by Loma Linda University in the US. Laughter increases the immune response in cancer patients, boosting the body’s ability to fight tumours. Heart disease can also be laughed off – a study at Loma Linda found that heart patients who watched comedy daily required less blood pressure medication, and only 8% of those viewing comedy daily had another heart attack, compared to 42% of those who didn’t.