Volume 240, Issue 1, May 2015, Pages 184–189
Music decreases aortic stiffness and wave reflections
Abstract
Objective
Music
has been related to cardiovascular health and used as adjunct therapy
in patients with cardiovascular disease. Aortic stiffness and wave
reflections are predictors of cardiovascular risk. We investigated the
short-term effect of classical and rock music on arterial stiffness and
wave reflections.
Methods
Twenty
healthy individuals (22.5 ± 2.5 years) were studied on three different
occasions and listened to a 30-min music track compilation (classical,
rock, or no music for the sham procedure).
Results
Both
classical and rock music resulted in a decrease of carotid-femoral
pulse wave velocity (PWV) immediately after the end of music listening
(all p < 0.01). Augmentation index (AIx) decreased with
either classical or rock music in a more sustained way (nadir by 6.0%
and 5.8%, respectively, at time zero post-music listening, all p < 0.01).
When music preference was taken into consideration, both classical and
rock music had a more potent effect on PWV in classical aficionados (by
0.20 m/s, p = 0.003 and 0.13 m/s, p = 0.015, respectively), whereas there was no effect in rock aficionados (all p = NS).
Regarding wave reflections, classical music led to a more potent
response in classical aficionados (AIx decrease by 9.45%), whereas rock
led to a more potent response to rock aficionados (by 10.7%, all p < 0.01).
Conclusions
Music,
both classical and rock, decreases aortic stiffness and wave
reflections. Effect on aortic stiffness lasts for as long as music is
listened to, while classical music has a sustained effect on wave
reflections. These findings may have important implications, extending
the spectrum of lifestyle modifications that can ameliorate arterial
function.
Keywords
- Aortic stiffness;
- Wave reflections;
- Music;
- Pulse wave velocity;
- Augmentation index
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
