Music has medical benefits. This came out in a recent study conducted by a research cardiologist, who happens to be an amateur musician. Dr. Mike Miller of the University of Maryland Medical Center found out in his study that music, like laughter, opens up blood vessels and produces protective chemicals within the listener that could help the heart stay healthy. Dr. Miller has been studying the effects of laughter and happiness on the heart for years. He found out that funny movies and laughter help a lot  in opening up of blood vessels, which leads to a freer circulation of blood.
While studying the benefits of laughter, it came into Miller’s mind that probably music has the same effect on the blood vessels as laughter. He studied the effects of music on the cardiovascular system and found out that  music may be one of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening to music. But not all kinds of music can act as a de-stressor because when a person is forced to listen to music he does not like, his blood vessels close up.
Using high-tech  imaging, Dr. Miller was able to measure blood vessel size as people listened to music. He learned that when a person listens to the kind of music that she likes, her blood vessels open up. When forced to listen to music she doesn’t like, the blood vessel were observed to shrink.
“The inner lining of the blood vessel relaxed, opened up and produced chemicals that are protective to the heart,” stated Dr. Miller, as he explained the effects of music on the blood vessel.
Stress can contribute to the damage on the cardivascular system, so it is important to have a de-stressor. Music is always there, ready for you to enjoy and fight stress with. It is good to have music that you like play in the background as much as possible to help you fight stress.
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