Are you a patient of hypertension or high blood pressure? Listening to classical music in addition to taking your medicines may give you some added advantage in regulating your blood pressure levels. Characterised by elevated blood pressure, the condition is touted as one of the principal cause of heart-attacks, strokes and kidney failure. A person is diagnosed with high blood pressure when the readings are consistently 140 over 90 or higher through a number of weeks.
According to the study published in the
journal Scientific Reports, music significantly enhances the effect of anti-hypertensive drugs, after a short time after it is taken to control high blood pressure.
The researchers performed an experiment to measure the effects of musical auditory stimulus associated with anti-hypertensive medication on heart rate and blood pressure in a small group of patients with well-controlled hypertension.
"We observed that music improved heart rate and enhanced the effect of anti-hypertensives for about an hour after they were administered," said study coordinator Vitor Engracia Valenti, Professor at Sao Paulo State University (UNESP) in Brazil.
On one day, after taking their usual oral anti-hypertensive medication, patients were made to listen to instrumental music via earphones for 60 minutes at the same volume.
One the other day, as control, the participants were made to undergo the same research protocol, but with the earphones were not turned on.Participant's heart rate variability was measured at rest and at 20, 40 and 60 minutes after oral medication.
The researchers employed many different statistical and mathematical techniques to examine differences between heart rates at different times, with high precision and sensitivity.
The findings revealed that heart rate diminishing significantly 60 minutes after medication when patients listed to music in the period. Heart rate did not fall as significantly when they did not listen to music.
It was also revealed that blood pressure responded more strongly to medication when they listened to music.
"We found that the effect of anti-hypertension medication on heart rate was enhanced by listening to music," Valenti said.
Researchers believe that music stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, increases gastrointestinal activity and accelerates absorption of anti-hypertensive medication, intensifying its effects on heart rate.
Explaining the hypothesis further, the scientist said that the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems constitute the autonomic nervous system, which maintains homeostasis. The sympathetic nervous system accelerates heart rate, constricts blood vessels and raises blood pressure.
Whereas the parasympathetic nervous system controls the body at rest, slowing the heart, lowering blood pressure, and stabilising blood sugar and adrenaline.
Your diet plays an important role in keeping your blood pressure levels in check too. Here's a list of 4 foods that are easy to find, delicious, nourishing, healthy, can lower your blood pressure.
1. BananaBananas are low in sodium; they're also rich in potassium which helps lower blood pressure. You may add bananas to your cereal, cake, bread, smoothies, yogurt and milkshakes.
2. SpinachSpinach is low in calories, high in fiber, and packed with nutrients like potassium, folate, magnesium - key ingredients for lowering and maintaining blood pressure levels.
3. CeleryCelery are extremely low in calories and contains phytochemicals known as phthalides that relax the muscle tissue in the artery walls, enabling increased blood flow and, in turn, lowering blood pressure.
4. OatmealEating a diet high in fiber & whole grains helps your body maintain a healthy blood pressure and oatmeal does just that! It helps reduce both your systolic and diastolic pressure.
(With Inputs from IANS)