Study: Soothing music resonates with heart patients

Music may soothe a troubled heart in more ways than one.

According to a new study, listening to calming music can ease anxiety in people with coronary heart disease, and can also lower their blood pressure and heart rate. This might lessen the ill effects stress can have on their condition.

If you have coronary heart disease, it means the arteries that carry oxygen-infused blood to your heart are narrowed with fatty deposits. This is a serious condition that can lead to a heart attack if the heart doesn't get enough blood. But there are good treatments that can help people to feel better and live longer.

Even so, many people are understandably anxious about their disease, and worry about their future. If their stress is severe, it can actually worsen their condition by raising their heart rate and blood pressure, as well as their heart's demand for oxygen. Several studies have suggested that listening to music can help people with heart disease reduce stress and its effects on the body. But it's difficult to draw firm conclusions from these studies, as most have been small. Now, researchers have pooled their results to get a clearer idea of whether listening to music can help.

Overall, people who listened to music regularly were less anxious than those who did not. Music seemed to especially resonate with those who'd recently had a heart attack, as their anxiety dropped to low levels after listening. People's blood pressure and heart rate were also lower after a music session.

The study also hinted that music may be more helpful if patients pick their own play list. When patients selected music from a handful of choices, their heart and breathing rates dropped more, on average, than when the music was selected by researchers. This makes sense, as people's musical tastes often don't jive. One person's easy listening might be another's idea of elevator music.

The researchers say their results should be viewed with some caution, as most of the studies weren't very good quality. They also say that many questions still need to be answered, including what types of music are best, and how long and how often people should listen to music. Nonetheless, if you'd like to relax to some music, there's no harm in doing so, and it may do your heart some good.

What you need to know. If you have heart disease and are feeling very anxious, be sure to tell your doctor. He or she may be able to relieve some of your worries and recommend ways to reduce stress.

And if you decide to unwind to some tunes? Experts say music with a slow tempo and no abrupt changes or sharp tones is relaxing for most people. They also recommend avoiding music that conjures deep emotions or memories, as soothing music shouldn't tug at your heartstrings.

—Sophie Ramsey, patient editor, BMJ Group

ConsumerReportsHealth.org has partnered with The BMJ Group to monitor the latest medical research and assess the evidence to help you decide which news you should use.

Find out if you're at-risk for coronary heart disease, and read more evidence on music therapy.(subscribers only).