Listening to your favorite music may dilate heart vessels to the same extent as medications like statins and ACE inhibitors, according to research presented this week at a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans . As part of the experiment, 10 healthy individuals underwent ultrasound testing while listening to their favorite music for half an hour and listening to music they felt made them anxious (in most cases heavy metal music) for half an hour. 

Findings showed that the favorite music increased blood vessel diameter by 26%, and the anxiety-provoking music narrowed blood vessel diameter by 6%, compared with baseline levels.

AHA – November 12, 2008 .

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