If you are on medication for high blood pressure, it would be beneficial to listen to some classical music after gulping down the pills, according to Dr. Andrew Weil. Some years back, researchers from Brazil Sao Paulo State University studied how music affect heart rate particularly in times of stress. And, they found that classical music decreases the heart rate.
The study tested the effects of listening to music for about an hour on blood pressure and heart rate of 37 recruits, who were taking medicines for hypertension for 6 months to 1 year. These people were studied in a resting condition, 10 minutes prior to administration of the medicines as well as 20 minutes, 40 minutes and an hour after the medication.
Music was played at the same intensity over the period of 60 minutes after medication in the music protocol. The analogous response of diastolic and systolic pressure was noted in both the protoDr. Andrew Weil cols. Heart rate was found to decrease after 60 minutes in the music protocol and there were no changes observed in the control protocol. The effects of the hypertension drug was more intense in the music protocol.
Dr. Andrew Weil says that the results showed that there was a significant slowing down of the heart rate, and the blood pressure also responded to medications with a greater intensity after listening to the music. The lead study author, Vitor Engrácia Valenti said that previous studies have shown that the effect of music therapy was significantly positive on blood pressure, but it was not established that music could augment the effects of medication in case of hypertension patients.
Hypertension is a global health condition, which is spreading widely. It leads to the development of several conditions related to the cardiovascular system. Music therapy has been thought to be an effective treatment for hypertension. The results of this study indicated that music boosts the effect of antihypertensive drugs on the heart rate variability.
