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Taking blood pressure -- no laughing matter!
Colm McMahon1, Azra Mahmud, John Feely
1Department of Therapeutics and Hypertension Clinic, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
|April 7, 2005
Summary
Laughter causes a significant temporary increase in systolic blood pressure. Therefore, patients should avoid laughing during blood pressure measurements to ensure accurate readings.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Humor is frequently employed to help patients relax during blood pressure monitoring.
- The immediate impact of laughter on blood pressure remains largely undocumented in scientific literature.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of laughter on blood pressure in normotensive individuals.
- To determine if laughter influences systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings.
Main Methods:
- Sixteen healthy volunteers participated in the study.
- Blood pressure was measured using an automated oscillometric device (Omron 705 CP).
- Measurements were taken during a control period and three laughter episodes while viewing a sitcom.
Main Results:
- Systolic blood pressure significantly increased from a mean of 115 mmHg to 127 mmHg during laughter (P<0.01).
- Diastolic blood pressure showed a non-significant increase from 71 mmHg to 73 mmHg.
- Blood pressure remained stable during the control period.
Conclusions:
- Laughter exerts an acute, significant effect on systolic blood pressure.
- Healthcare providers should advise patients against laughing during blood pressure measurements to obtain reliable results.