Effect of music therapy on blood pressure of individuals with hypertension: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

Background: Studies have reported the benefits of music on blood pressure in hypertensive patients, however there is no meta-analysis. We performed a meta-analysis to investigate the effects of music in hypertensive patients. Methods: Pubmed, Scopus, LILACS, IBECS, MEDLINE and SciELO via Virtual Health Library (Bireme) (from the earliest date available to February 2016) for controlled trials that evaluated the effects of music on systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive patients. Weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated, and heterogeneity was assessed using the I-2 test. Results: Three studies met the eligibility criteria. Music resulted in improvement in systolic blood pressure WMD (-6.58 95% CI: -9.38 to -3.79), compared with control group. A nonsignificant difference in diastolic blood pressure was found for participants in the music group compared with control group. Conclusions: Music may improve systolic blood pressure and should be considered as a component of care of hypertensive patients. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.