YOU’RE stuck with a tight work deadline, and your heart races as you complete your task.
Such is the cause of your stress, but when you reach for your favourite music list on Spotify and hit the play button, you start to become calmer and your heart stops beating furiously.
Now, you’re feeling good and work is manageable.
That playlist sure helped, and this begs the question; is it true that music is good for your heart health?
VERDICT:
TRUE
Research shows that music helps people calm down from intense situations.
According to the American Heart Association News, a study published in the Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery showed that music therapy eased pain, anxiety, and depression among people recovering from coronary bypass surgery.
The report further said that those with episodes of chest pain soon after a heart attack who listened to music for at least half an hour a day for seven years reported less anxiety and chest pain and had a lower rate of heart attack than those who did not listen to music.
Indeed, a Scientific Report study published in 2018 suggests that music could make high blood pressure medication more effective, with University Health Network cardiologist David Alter listening to the Rolling Stones during his workout sessions.
The senior scientist at KITE Research Institute studying the use of music in promoting cardiac health was quoted as saying that “it’s almost like a medicine.”
“Our research, recently published in the Journal Psychology of Sport and Exercise, has shown that music can distract us from the pain of exercise. That’s why we may be able to exercise longer or more intensively with music,” he added.
“There is an overall perception that music does us good,” Alter said. “But we need to prove it scientifically. I do think we’re getting more rigorous in our scientific approach.”
Similarly, Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine director Joanne Loewy said that music helped her stay calm when she was stuck in a traffic jam with an impending nasty storm.
“I felt my heartbeat rise, so I switched to the Bach cello suite in my ‘traffic burden’ playlist. I just said that I’m not going to worry. I’m just going to breathe and release it all,” said the director of the New York-based centre.
She further said that the rhythms of music can influence breathing, which also affects heart function.
“Breathing and heart rates go hand in hand. We know if we can slow the pulmonary function and have stronger inhalations where more oxygen is absorbed in the blood, we’ll have better cardiac outcomes.”
In conclusion, Loewy said music should be part of everyone’s health plan.
“Every person may benefit from a different kind of music based on their culture, their past history, their genes, and their resilience,” she said. “A music therapist can help figure out what is healthiest for you,” she added.
References
https://www.health.harvard.
