Laughter Therapy Eases Breathing in COPD Trial — SkimNews
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- Goncagul Aldan and colleagues at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital randomized 63 COPD patients into three groups of 21 — laughter therapy, pursed-lip breathing, or control — all continuing their existing medications.
- The laughter therapy protocol involved structured exercises (mimicking a motorcycle starting, lion roaring, rhythmic clapping with vocal sounds) performed 30 minutes, three times per week over eight weeks, coached by trained laughter therapists.
- After eight weeks, both the laughter therapy and pursed-lip breathing groups showed less difficulty breathing and better overall health than controls, with Aldan reporting the benefits were "still ongoing even a month after the trial ended."
- Neither therapy changed how much daily assistance participants needed from caregivers, and the researchers did not directly compare laughter therapy against pursed-lip breathing head-to-head.
- Aldan hypothesized the therapy works by exercising breathing muscles, promoting deeper exhalation, improving lymphatic flow, and triggering endorphin release while lowering stress hormones.
- Aldan cautioned that unguided laughter — like reacting to a funny video — can trigger acute airway collapse or exertion, distinguishing the structured protocol from spontaneous laughter.
- Marc Miravitlles of Vall d'Hebron University Hospital in Barcelona called it "a small but well-run study" whose promising results warrant further research; the team presented at the ERS Congress in Barcelona.
- The team hopes to expand its work with international collaborators following these initial findings.
Why it matters: For the millions living with COPD — a leading global cause of disability and death — an eight-week structured laughter therapy protocol offered measurable breathing and quality-of-life gains at near-zero cost, on par with pursed-lip breathing exercises already recommended by doctors. Even without reducing caregiver dependence, a low-cost, accessible adjunct could matter most in low-resource settings where specialty pulmonary rehab is scarce.
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