"Nikolai", a 21-year-old transgender man, says he does not know how he can keep living in Russia after lawmakers moved...

Alexander Payne is up to his old tricks. The celebrated director behind such heralded films

Generations of Palestinians have worked the terraced hillsides of the West Bank farming village of Battir, southwest of Jerusalem

The state of Idaho is in the beginning stages of a grand exodus. Doctors -- specifically, those who care for pregnant women and perform abortions -- are fleeing the state due to new abortion restrictions.

Women's World Cup host city Dunedin, at latitude of 45.88 degrees South, is the southernmost city to ever stage a game in a soccer World Cup, men’s or women’s

The Supreme Court has ruled the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loan debt, effectively killing the $400 billion plan

Jimmy Buffett died Friday evening. He was 76. The world was worse for it —

Simplifi comes from the company that makes Quicken, but it doesn’t resemble the 30-year-old desktop

BOISE, Idaho--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 14, 2023--

When you think of the quintessential summer uniform, does a puff-sleeve dress or a slouchy white T-shirt come to mind? Well, it’s time to add another piece to your lineup of warm-weather staples — the mighty striped button-up shirt.

A new, first-of-its kind study has demonstrated that laughter can indeed be good medicine – especially for those with heart disease. Laughter therapy can increase the functional capacity of the cardiovascular system that includes the heart, lungs, arteries and veins, found the yet-to-be peer-reviewed research presented at the annual meeting of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam. Researchers, including Marco Saffi from the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre in Brazil, found reduced inflammation and better signs of health among coronary artery disease patients who engaged in a course of laughter therapy. They found laughter therapy sessions could cause the tissue inside a patient’s heart to expand, potentially leading to increased oxygen flow through the body. Until now, different treatments without the use of drugs have been studied in coronary artery disease patients, but the benefits of rehabilitation using laughter therapy was not fully assessed, scientists said. In the new study, the impact of laughter therapy on the functional capacity, tissue function as well as markers of inflammation in the bodies of patients with coronary artery disease was evaluated. The condition, which is one of the most common diseases in the world, arises when the heart’s coronary arteries struggle to supply the organ with enough blood, oxygen and nutrients. Scientists conducted a clinical trial involving 26 adults with an average age of 64 from August 2016 to December 2020, measuring each of their oxygen uptake and the widening of their main artery when blood flow increases. Researchers also measured levels of molecules in the patients’ bodies, indicative of inflammation such as interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, vascular cell adhesion molecule (VCAM) and intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM). Thirteen of the patients were assigned to the group that underwent laughter therapy by watching two self-selected TV comedy shows per week. The other 13 served as the control group and watched “neutral documentaries”, scientists noted. They said the study is the first controlled clinical trial to evaluate the impact of rehabilitation using laughter therapy on patients with coronary artery disease. It revealed an increase in the body’s peak oxygen uptake and improvements in tissue function as well as the body’s markers of inflammation. The new findings are in line with previous research that suggested having a good laughter session makes the body release endorphins, which are hormones that reduce stress and inflammation and help the heart and blood vessels relax. Based on the new results, presented at the world’s largest heart conference, scientists say laughter therapy may constitute an “effective form of cardiac rehabilitation in this patient population”. Read More How many steps a day can cut risk of early death (and it’s not 10,000) A broad genetic test saved one newborn's life. Research suggests it could help millions of others Snoring before age 50 is a health ‘red flag’, experts suggest How many steps a day can cut risk of early death (and it’s not 10,000) Experts warn that snoring before you turn 50 is a health ‘red flag’ ‘Boy moms’ called out for dubious logic behind teaching their sons to cook

TL;DR: As of May 25, get the Instabridge eSIM Lifetime Plan for just $139.97 —