Singing Can Lower Blood Pressure Patients Before Surgery

Anxiety and tension are usually attacked by patients who will perform the operation. Jitters triggers heightened blood pressure who took part. But with singing an elderly patient is able to control nervousness and managed to lower his blood pressure.

Doctors report that singing can lower blood pressure a woman with 76 years of age who experience severe hypertension prior to total knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis (OA).


Patient's blood pressure rising initially and could not be relieved by medication suddenly the patient's blood pressure dropped dramatically when she sang some religious songs.

Case reports have been published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research April 2011 issue. Arthritis Care & Research is a journal published by Wiley Blackwell on behalf of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

The doctor said that, the standard therapy for hypertension involve drugs based preoperative therapy including diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

The drugs used to lower blood pressure to acceptable levels for the operation. However, some patients do not respond to treatment. In patients who are unresponsive to standard therapies, such as the patient in this case, alternative interventions hypertension is necessary.

"Some studies show that listening to music can be effective to reduce blood pressure by calming or distracting the patient before surgery. It can reduce stress and anxiety. Our case study expands on medical evidence to show that singing also has potential therapeutic effects in the setting of pre- operation, "explains lead author Nina Niu, a researcher from Harvard Medical School in BostonsSeperti Epharmapedia quoted on Monday (31/10/2011).

Research subjects in that case was a woman 76 years old from the Dominican Republic with hypertension and has a 15-year history of bilateral knee OA. Patients treated with ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers for high blood pressure and diclofenac, which is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) for knee pain.

Upon admission to the hospital for surgery, the patient's blood pressure was 160/90 mm Hg, has been taking the drug with nifedipine and lisinopril. Then the woman's blood pressure rose to 240/120 mm Hg and settled, so doctors consider delaying surgery. But the medical team at Dominican Hospital has a limited time. Thus it is very important that the patient's blood pressure is reduced so that operation can be performed.

The patient asked the doctor if he could sing. The patient said that she often sang to calm down and to aid sleep. Then the medical team to allow the patient to sing.

After singing two songs, when checked her blood pressure had dropped to 180/90 mm Hg. By continuing to sing for 20 minutes, the patient's blood pressure is lower and persisted for several hours afterward.

As instructed by the physician, the patient sang periodically during a night that can continue to lower their blood pressure at acceptable levels. The next morning, the patient's blood pressure is normal enough to be carried out knee replacement surgery. The operation was successful and without complications.