This Week At UMC

Does music affect blood pressure?

It has no impact
It can have a short-term therapeutic impact
It has a significant impact


Correct Answer : Music can have a short-term therapeutic impact on blood pressure.

Dr. Daniel W. Jones, a Professor of Medicine at UMC and Director of the Division of Hypertension and Principal Investigator in the Jackson Heart Study sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health, reports that relaxing music can exert a beneficial short-term therapeutic impact on blood pressure, likely through a biofeedback effect. However, soothing music is unlikely to have a clinically significant effect on chronic blood pressure elevations or target organ damage secondary to hypertension.

The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment recently released their Sixth Report (JNC VI). The JNC VI reclassifies hypertension and sets target goals for populations at risk for adverse events resulting from high blood pressure.

Optimal blood pressure is now defined as less than 120 mm Hg systolic and less than 80 mm Hg diastolic (<120/80) for adults. Pharmacologic therapy should be considered in patients without other cardiovascular risk factors at levels >140/90, who have not achieved blood pressure control after 12 months of aggressive lifestyle modification.

Dr. Brendan Ross, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine at UMC, answers e-mailed questions online in the Ask the Doctor section.

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