May is blood pressure awareness month. The American Heart Association reports that according to recent estimates, about one in three U.S. adults has
high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of
these people don't know they have it. So the next time you go to our local pharmacy or grocery store - take advantage of the free blood pressure test available. High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart attacks, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. According to the American Heart Association high blood pressure is defined as a systolic pressure (the top number) of 140 or higher over a diastolic pressure (the bottom number of 90 or higher.
Hypertension is treatable through exercise and eating a healthy diet and in some cases medication. But I recently came across a study that suggests you can also lower your blood pressure by listening to music. According to a research study presented at the American Hypertension meeting taking place in New Orleans - "listening to half an hour of music each day may significantly lower your blood pressure."
Certainly this isn't a cure-all for hypertension, but researches found that over a month's time people with mild hypertenstion who listened to classical, Celtic, or Indian (raga) music for just 30 minutes a day had "significant reductions in their blood pressure." The study took a total of 48 adults ages 45 to 70 who were taking medication to control
mild hypertension. Of these, 28 listened to 30 minutes of
"rhythmically homogenous" classical, Celtic or raga music daily while
practicing slow, controlled breathing exercises. The remaining 20 participants,
serving as the control group, made no changes to their daily routine.
Blood pressure readings obtained one and four
weeks later showed that systolic blood pressure - the top number in the blood
pressure reading - dropped significantly in the music listeners. In contrast,
the control group experienced only small, non-significant reductions in blood
pressure.
Dr. Pietro A. Modesti, of the University of Florence in Italy and a study investigator noted in a written statement from the meeting that, "listening to music is soothing and has often been associated with controlling patient reported pain or anxiety and acutely reducing blood pressure. But for the first time, today's results clearly illustrate the impact daily music listening has on ambulatory blood pressure."
Dr. Modesti also states, "We are excited about the positive implications for both patients and
physicians, who can now confidently explore music listening as a safe,
effective, non-pharmacological treatment option or a complement to
therapy."
Jason
