Heart Disease: How Music (And Exercise) Can Help

Listening to your favourite music is beneficial if you suffer from heart disease, a study suggests.

Music and exercise training combined produced the most benefit, according to research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2013 in Amsterdam.

A total of 74 patients with cardiac disease^[1] were divided into three groups.

Patients in two of the groups underwent three weeks of supervised aerobic exercise training at a residential centre.

MORE ON HUFFPOST UK:

How Can You Tell You Have High Blood Pressure? ^[2]

Men V Women: Who Is More Likely To Have A Heart Attack?

^[3]

In addition to exercise training, patients in one of the above groups listened to their favourite music for 30 minutes every day.

The third group of patients did not exercise and received usual community care and listened to their favourite music for 30 minutes every day.

At the end of the trial, the patients who had combined music and exercise had significantly boosted measures of heart function, as well as improving their exercise capacity by 39%.

The group which only took aerobic exercise improved their capacity by 29%.

Even the group which took no exercise and only listened to their favourite music for half an hour a day improved their exercise function by 19%.

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  Vegetable oil

  
  

  Linoleic acid is essential to keep your heart healthy, so try to consume between two to four teaspoons a day.

  
  


• 
  

  Tomatoes

  
  

  Tomatoes are great for brightening the skin but more importantly, the <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-02-25/diet/29773716_1_olive-oil-bad-cholesterol-healthy-heart" target="_blank">food also acts as a blood purifier.</a> It also contains lots of Vitamin K, which helps to prevent hemorrhages.

  
  


• 
  

  Oats

  
  

  Oats contain a soluble fibre called beta glucan, which helps bring down cholesterol levels, particularly LDL which is the worst type of cholesterol.

  
  


• 
  

  Avocado

  
  

  It's packed with the 'good' type of fat - monounsaturated - and lowers LDL levels (bad cholesterol that increases the risk of heart disease) while raising HDL cholesterol levels in your body. HDL cholesterol prevents your arteries from getting clogged.

  
  


• 
  

  Soy

  
  

  Edamame is the yummiest form of soy, and it's a great source of protein to replace red meat which can be high in bad cholesterol and saturated fat.

  
  


• 
  

  Salmon

  
  

  Omega 3-fatty acids are great for lowering blood pressure, reducing blood clotting and boosting your immunity. According to <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/omega-3/HB00087" target="_blank">The Mayo Clinic</a>, each one to two servings a week can reduce the risk of heart disease.

  
  


• 
  

  Blueberries

  
  

  All dark berries are good for the heart, but blueberries in particular can help widen arteries, <a href="http://healthyliving.msn.com/diseases/heart-and-cardiovascular/6-healthiest-berries-for-womens-hearts#3" target="_blank">which helps blood to flow smoothly, preventing blockages</a>.

  
  


• 
  

  Chickpeas

  
  

  Chickpeas (as well as kidney beans) are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids - a good alternative to fish for vegetarians.

  
  


• 
  

  Spinach

  
  

  Rich in iron, spinach isn't just a good heart disease preventative, it can also help your recovery if you do have a heart attack. It contains <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-493290/Spinach-helps-survive-heart-attack.html" target="_blank">a lot of nitrite</a> which aids recovery.

  
  


• 
  

  Almonds

  
  

  Like olive oil, almonds are a good source of healthy fat and is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Scatter some over your yogurt in the morning - do not eat the whole bag!

  
  

Professor Marina Deljanin Ilic from Serbia, who presented the research, said: "The combination of music and exercise training led to the most improvement in endothelial function.

"Improvements in endothelial function were associated with significant improvements in exercise capacity."

She added: "Listening to favourite music alone and in addition to regular exercise training improves endothelial function and therefore may be an adjunct method in the rehabilitation of patients with Coronary Artery Disease.

"There is no an 'ideal' music for everybody and patients should choose music which increases positive emotions and makes them happy or relaxed."

References

1. ^{^} cardiac disease (www.huffingtonpost.co.uk)


2. ^{^} How Can You Tell You Have High Blood Pressure? (www.huffingtonpost.co.uk)


3. ^{^} Men V Women: Who Is More Likely To Have A Heart Attack? (www.huffingtonpost.co.uk)