Humor Helps You Live Longer
December 28, 2006
Researchers at NTNU and St. Olav’s Hospital in Norway have found the first
evidence in history that proves that a sense of humor reduces mortality.
Now, the first evidence in history is published proving that a sense of humor
increases the probability of survival when people are hit by severe diseases.
The research report is published in the scientific journal The International
Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine no. 3/2006.
The study was conducted by a research team at the Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian
University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and St. Olav’s University Hospital
in Trondheim, and included specialized nurse Bjørn Kristoffersen, Chief
Physician Knut Aasarød, and Professor Sven Svebak.
Observed kidney patients
In January in a particular year, all patients with chronic kidney failure in Sør-Trøndelag
County were invited to participate in the study. The patients were very ill and
had to receive dialysis at least once a week, some every day, to purify the
blood for substances that the kidneys would normally filter out into the urine.
Without the dialysis, they would die.
Approximately 80 per cent of these patients provided answers to questions
regarding their age, gender, education, quality of life, and sense of humor.
Sense of humor essential
If the patient belonged to the half that scored relatively high on sense of
humor, the risk of dying within two years was reduced by 30 per cent. The
figures appeared after making considerations to aspects that could be caused by
other health issues, the general quality of life, and other conditions.
No other patient characteristics could predict life or death within two years as
strongly as the score for sense of humor.
The Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
http://www.ntnu.no