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Stressful And Disturbing Heavy Metal Music Is 'Bad For The Heart'

Heavy metal listeners beware...

  • by Jason Gregory
  • Wednesday, November 12, 2008
  • Photo by: Carsten Windhorst
  • filed in:
Stressful And Disturbing Heavy Metal Music Is 'Bad For The Heart'
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Listening to stressful or disturbing music can be bad for the heart, according to a new study.

An American investigation found that genres like Heavy Metal narrowed arteries and made people more anxious, where as “joyful” music improved blood flow.

John Denver-style country music was found to be the most uplifting.

Dr Miller, who led the study at the University of Maryland Medical Centre in Baltimore, said people shouldn't read to much into the results, “although you could argue that country music is light, spirited, a lot of love songs.”

The Test

The study asked the 10 healthy, non-smoking volunteers to avoid listening to their favourite music to minimise "emotional desensitisation”.

Then, after two weeks, when they listened to music they liked “they would get an extra boost of whatever emotion was being generated," Dr Miller said.

The results found that volunteers' arteries opened 26% wider on average during music they liked but narrowed by 6% when “anxious” music was played.

Dr Miller added: "Needless to say, these results were music to my ears because they signal another preventive strategy that we may incorporate in our daily lives to promote heart health.”

What do you think of the results? Do you feel healthier listening to joyful music? Post your thoughts by filling out the comment form below.

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(17)
  • badscience.net

    ~ by chockablock 11/12/2008

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  • What a quack!!!

    ~ by Mercenary of Metal 11/12/2008

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  • The study details surrounding the background of the volunteers (age, musical preference), the types of music played, the circumstances of the exposure (room temp, comfort, time of day) are not discussed in this article. Without those details, it's impossible to directly pin arterial constriction to the type of music being heard.

    ~ by Skullgal 11/12/2008

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  • What a load of bollocks. If i had to listen to John Denver, i would probably curl up and die, Whereas Rock music makes me come alive.

    ~ by Bulldog from The Rock Show Uk away Fm 11/12/2008

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  • I love my University of Maryland physican researchers (my alma mater) but I don't agree. John Denver or country music would definitely stress me out.

    ~ by Mary in Baltimore 11/12/2008

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  • Too much bad food-Bad Too much stress-Bad A steady diet of Slayer, Maiden, and Opeth- PRICELESS

    ~ by MOT 11/12/2008

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  • BULL-SHIT

    ~ by Lucifer 11/14/2008

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  • this merely shows that music you enjoy is better for you... not that "heavy" music is bad for you. were there any metalheads in the group because their arteries would have most likely opened during heavy stuff and narrowed during john denver

    ~ by tim 11/15/2008

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  • I am a metalhead, and I disagree, very much so. My girlfriend listens to virtually everything I do not, and I have to grit my teeth for the duration of the car ride and pray that it will be over soon. Then, once in my own car, I turn on some metal and I fell calm and at peace, where as my girlfriend has the opposite effect. Even then there are times when I am not in the mood for metal and I turn on some Muddy Waters. So yes, without knowing the subjects preference, the study is debunked.

    ~ by Gregory lied 11/15/2008

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  • wait, what kind of music did these people like? If they all liked country music, then of course they wouldn't mind listening to it...

    ~ by name 11/15/2008

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  • i think its healthier listening to music like metallica rather than fucking my chemical romance, that way, less people kill themselves

    ~ by kris 11/17/2008

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  • that's just sad...

    ~ by papitow 11/18/2008

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  • The guy says that the volunteers arteries opened 26% wider when listening to songs THEY LIKE. What types of music do they like? Its impossible to associate this effect to Rock and Heavy Metal music having only these few parameters, and studying only 10 people. The study must be carried with more people and with rock / heavy metal listeners being part of the study group.

    ~ by Damienbr 11/18/2008

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  • É óbvio que este estudo é totalmente furado e feito por uma pessoa preconceituosa!! O que soa estressante para mim não é o mesmo para você!! Vai procura algo mais útil para fazer do que fica criticando coisas que você não gosta!!

    ~ by HUAHUA 12/7/2008

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  • That's bull. everyone is dissing heavy metal cause it restricts blood flow? yeah well if i listened to jack johnson or anything like that, I would probably go insane because it is so terrible. Metal take a lot more talent and doesn't make you anxious.

    ~ by Anonymous Rocker 5/8/2009

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  • thats total bull.. Metal is not stressful and disturbing.

    ~ by nathanial 7/23/2009

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  • very bad science! unbeliveable... if you choose people that like country music it is of course that the feeling to listening the music will be good. He even test people whos like metal? ridiculous

    ~ by rafael 10/29/2009

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