Playing music for patients in intensive care units can help lower heart rates and blood pressures, according to researchers from the American College of Cardiology. The findings could benefit millions of people with conditions that increase the risk of death and disease.
High blood pressure raises the risk of life-threatening heart attacks and strokes, while abnormal heart rate is linked to a higher risk of death and organ failure. In the US, over 6 million people have heart failure, and nearly half of adults have high blood pressure.
Dr Ilani Paola Santoyo Pérez, a medical student at the University of Guanajuato in Mexico, said: 'By reducing physiological distress, enhancing patient comfort, and promoting holistic, patient-centered care, music therapy ultimately improves both the patient experience and clinical outcomes.'
A study at a Mexican hospital last year involved 23 adult heart patients who listened to the song 'Weightless' by Marconi Union through headphones for 45 minutes daily over five days. The music was played at 15 decibels, a low level comparable to rustling leaves. The patients were alert, communicative, and had no hearing impairments.
Music therapy is a non-invasive and low-cost intervention that has been used since the early 1800s. Previous research has linked classical music to improved blood pressure and heart rates, and Mozart's music has been shown to improve IQ tests and spatial reasoning. The therapy can also involve singing, playing instruments, or writing music.
