As reported via the BBC News on June 22, a new study published in Circulation Journal shows that listening to the right kind of music can predictably slow heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Highlights from the article include:
The researchers tested out various combinations of music and silence on the volunteers and found tracks rich in emphasis that alternated between fast and slow, like operatic music, appeared to be the best for the circulation and the heart.
Verdi's arias, which follow music phrases that are 10 seconds long, appeared to synchronise perfectly with the natural cardiovascular rhythm.
Rousing operatic music, like Puccini's Nessun Dorma, full of crescendos and diminuendos is best and could help stroke rehabilitation, say the authors. Listen to the Three Tenors (Domingo, Carreras, Pavarotti) perform Nessun Dorma.
Intrigued? Then you may want to check-out the 2009/2010 Kentucky Opera season, which opens with Verdi's La Traviata: http://www.kyopera.org/
Link to the article on BBC News site: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8112247.stm
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