Mozart and Strauss can help to lower your blood pressure, new study shows
19 September 2019, 09:20 | Updated: 19 September 2019, 10:45
We’ve known for a long time that there are innumerable benefits in listening to classical music (aside from the fact it's just so darn good) – and now the science is backing it up too.
High blood pressure is very common in the UK, and it’s said that dietary changes and exercise can help control it, but now a recent study is pointing to another activity that can help – listening to classical music.
A study, published in the Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, has found that listening to Mozart and Strauss lowered blood lipid concentrations and heart rate, which was a result within a larger study focusing on the effect different musical genres have on the cardiovascular system.
Researchers allocated 120 study participants, half of which were then divided into three groups, to listen to music by either Mozart, Strauss or ABBA. The remaining 60 participants spent the time in silence.
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To measure the effect of the music, and lack of it, all participants had their blood pressure, heart rate and cortisol concentration measured.
The results showed that Mozart and Strauss notably lowered blood pressure and heart rate, whereas no substantial effect came from listening to ABBA.
All three music test groups also demonstrated notably lower cortisol concentrations, and comparison with the group who spent the time in silence showed that the effect of music was far greater than that of silence.
Even more reason to listen to Classic FM…
