ClassicFM: High blood pressure can lessen your response to classical music, new study finds

Pope, V.C., Soliński, M., Lambiase, P.D., Chew, E. High blood pressure inhibits cardiovascular responsiveness to expressive classical music. Sci Rep 15, 10908 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-94341-2

Lucy Hicks Beach reports on our Scientific Reports paper on the Classic FM’s website. See excerpt:

The study found that elevated blood pressure may impair the body’s natural response to auditory and emotional cues, potentially affecting music appreciation and relaxation benefits.

According to the research, it has already been established that both performing and listening to music can lower blood pressure due to its power to “temporarily physiologically activate listeners”. However, the dynamics of blood pressure during music-listening are not well understood.

Interestingly, the pieces that had been sped up the most were associated with decreased blood pressure in both groups, compared to the slow and medium pieces, performed at their original tempi, which calls into question the idea that slow music is relaxing.

Researchers suggested, though, that this is because pieces of music have a greater physiological effect when experienced in their ‘original expressive performance’.

While music is often regarded as a tool for relaxation and stress reduction, its effects may vary depending on tempo, performance style, and individual health conditions. These findings suggest that high blood pressure could dampen emotional engagement with music, underscoring the need for further research into how cardiovascular health influences sensory and emotional experiences.