Listening to favorite music improves endothelial function in CAD

Listening to favorite music improves endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease, according to research presented at ESC Congress 2013 today by professor Marina Deljanin Ilic from Serbia. Music and exercise training combined produced the most benefit.

01 sept 2013--Professor Deljanin Ilic said: "In the setting of cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular disease the endothelium loses its normal function.1 Since endothelium derived nitric oxide is necessary to maintain an adequatevascular response, correction of endothelial dysfunction has become a goal of therapy."

She added: "Exercise training has been shown to improve endothelial function and is the cornerstone of a multifaceted programme of cardiovascular rehabilitation. However, little is known about the role of music in cardiovascular rehabilitation or the effects of listening to favourite music on endothelial function."

The current study evaluated the effects of listening to favourite music on endothelial function through changes of circulating blood markers of endothelial function: the stable end products of nitric oxide (NOx), asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) and xanthine oxidase (XO) in 74 patients with stable CAD.

Patients were randomised to trained (T, n=33), music and trained (MT, n=31) and music (M, n=10) groups. Patients in the T and MT groups underwent 3 weeks of supervised aerobic exercise training at a residential centre. In addition to exercise training, patients in the MT group listened to their favourite music for 30 minutes every day.

Patients in the M group received usual community care and listened to their favourite music for 30 minutes every day. Markers were measured and an exercise test performed at baseline and 3 weeks.

After 3 weeks the value of NOx increased in groups T (from 33.0±13.0 to 42.8±11.0 µmol/l, p< 0.005) and MT (from 34.5±7.1 to 49.6±12.6 µmol/l,

Professor Deljanin Ilic 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 joyful music for 30 minutes has been associated with improved endothelial function, possibly by ?-endorphin mediated activation of endothelium derived nitric oxide.2 The vascular health benefits of music may be due to endorphins or endorphin like compounds released from the brain when we hear music we like."

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

More information: 1 Widlansky ME, Gokce N, Keaney JF, Vita JA. The clinical implications of endothelial dysfunction. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2003;42:1149-1160.

2 Miller M, Mangano CC, Beach V, Kop WJ, Vogel RA. Divergent effects of joyful and anxiety-provoking music on endothelial vasoreactivity. Psychosom Med. 2010;72(4):354-356.

Provided by European Society of Cardiology

High-Glycemic Foods Linked to Endothelial Dysfunction

Flow-mediated dilation reduced after high-glycemic-index meals in overweight volunteers

13 june 2009-- High-glycemic carbohydrates may be linked to reduced flow-mediated dilation in overweight individuals, perhaps pointing to a connection between such foods and cardiovascular disease risk, according to research published in the June 16 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Talya Lavi, of the Chaim Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer, Israel, and colleagues analyzed data from 56 healthy overweight and obese subjects without diabetes. After fasting overnight, the subjects had a different meal on four mornings spaced a week or two apart -- water (serving as placebo), glucose, cornflakes, or high-fiber cereal.

At 30 and 90 minutes, serum glucose levels were higher after the high-glycemic glucose and cornflake meals than the low-glycemic fiber meal, the researchers note. The percent flow-mediated dilation at two hours after the meal was reduced to a statistically significant level only after the glucose and cornflake meals. The rate of percent flow-mediated dilation reduction was not seen to be correlated with glucose levels during the study period.

"Our study shows that high-glycemic-index carbohydrate meals significantly suppress brachial artery percent flow-mediated dilation in nondiabetic, healthy, overweight and obese volunteers, an effect not necessarily caused by post-prandial blood glucose levels alone. Furthermore, the link between high-glycemic-index foods and endothelial dysfunction could play a major role in the association between high-glycemic-index foods intake and cardiovascular disease risk. Further research examining hormonal and cytokine signals resulting from high-glycemic-index meals and their influence on endothelial function is warranted," the authors conclude.

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