Rio de Janeiro: A new study suggests that laughter can be the best treatment for heart disease.

In a study conducted in Brazil, scientists found that heart patients who laughed at comedy shows twice a week had reduced heart inflammation while improving the heart’s ability to circulate oxygen throughout the body.

Previous studies have shown that laughing increases levels of the ‘happy hormones’ endorphins, dopamine and serotonin. These hormones can also improve immunity and the body’s natural defense system.

The latest research, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Amsterdam last week, involved 26 people with an average age of 64. All of these individuals were suffering from coronary artery disease, which is a build-up of material on the walls of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

In the study, over three months, half of the patients were asked to watch two different hour-long comedy programs each week, including popular sitcoms.

The other half watched two different serious documentaries each week.

At the end of the 12-week study, the group that watched the comedy show had a 10 percent improvement in VO2max (a test that measures the heart’s ability to pump oxygen throughout the body).

The researchers also saw improvements in the flow-mediated dilation test (which measures how much the arteries can dilate) in these individuals.

While the blood test showed that the symptoms of inflammation were clearly reduced in these individuals. These symptoms show how much material has accumulated in the blood vessels and whether people are at risk of a heart attack or stroke.