Music lowers blood pressure

We all know how listening to a favorite song can make you feel good and lift your mood.

Now a small study shows the affect that music has on the arteries and heart. The Italian researchers found that different types of music could increase and decrease blood pressure.

Video: Pavarotti sings Nessun Dorma in NY 1980

Rousing opera music, like Puccini’s Nessun Dorma, is good for the heart according to the researchers. It is an amazing performance by Pavarotti and some say it was his best. Enjoy the music and it’s affect on your blood pressure!

The music study

Researchers studied 24 healthy people as they listened to 5 classical music songs and monitored how their bodies responded.

They found that during a musical crescendo, when the volume gradually increased, the body became ‘aroused’. It led to a narrowing of blood vessels under the skin, increased blood pressure and heart rate and increased respiratory rates.

In contrast they found that during a diminuendos, when the volume gradually decreased, the body relaxed. It led to a slowed heart rate and lowered blood pressure.

What the researchers found …

The researchers tried different combinations of music on the volunteers and found songs which alternated between fast and slow, like opera music, appeared to be the best for the circulation and the heart. The research by Dr. Bernardi at Pavia University, was published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

Related articles

• Erratic blood pressure readings can be confusing.
• A good laugh can be a big help for the heart.

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