Virtual green spaces and classical music reduce blood pressure in hospital
Watching a river flow via a virtual-reality headset while listening to classical music seems to quickly bring people's blood pressure down from a dangerously high level in hospital
Virtual reality and classical music may reduce blood pressure in hospital emergency rooms, according to research presented at the European Emergency Medicine Congress in Paris. The study involved 130 adults with hypertensive urgency, a condition often causing anxiety that can further increase blood pressure. Participants received standard medication to lower their blood pressure, and half also experienced a virtual reality scene of a flowing river in a forest, accompanied by a classical music playlist.
After 15 minutes, blood pressure had decreased by 12mmHg in the VR and music group compared to 16mmHg in the medication-only group. While the effect diminished by 60 minutes, it was still significant. Researchers believe the calming impact may be due to reduced anxiety, as measured by the State Anxiety Inventory questionnaire. However, it is unclear whether the benefit came solely from the music, the virtual environment, or a combination of both.
Further research with larger samples and longer follow-ups is needed to confirm the results and explore potential personalization of music preferences.
Written by urgent.news from New Scientist's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
