Songs that make our hearts soar can make them stronger too, US researchers reported on Tuesday.

    They found that when people listened to their favorite music, their blood vessels dilated in much the same way as when laughing, or taking blood medications.

    "We have a pretty impressive effect," said Dr Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore.

    "Blood vessel diameter improved," he said. "The vessel opened up pretty significantly. You can see the vessels opening up with other activities such as exercise." A similar effect is seen with drugs such as statins and ACE inhibitors.

    When blood vessels open more, blood flows more smoothly and is less likely to form the blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes. Elastic vessels also resist the hardening activity of atherosclerosis.

    "We are not saying to stop your statins or not to exercise but to add this to an overall program of heart health," said Miller, who presented his findings to a meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans.

    Miller's team tested 10 healthy, non-smoking men and women, who were told to bring their favorite music.

    They spent half an hour listening to the recordings and half an hour listening to music they said made them feel anxious while the researchers did ultrasound tests designed to show blood vessel function.

    Compared to their normal baseline measurements, blood vessel diameter increased 26 percent on average when the volunteers heard their joyful music. Listening to music they disliked - in most cases in this group heavy metal - narrowed blood vessels by six percent, Miller said.

    Miller said he came up with the idea after discovering the laughter caused blood to literally flow more smoothly.

    "I asked myself what other things make us feel real good, besides calories from dark chocolate of course. Music came to mind. ... It makes me feel real good," he said.

    Most of the volunteers chose country music but Miller said the style is not so important as what pleases each individual.

    美國研究人員于本周二稱，令人心情歡暢的音樂還能讓心臟更加健康。

    研究人員發現，當人們聆聽他們喜愛的音樂時，血管就會擴張，跟大笑和服用血管擴張藥物的效果相仿。

    巴爾的摩馬里蘭大學醫學中心的預防心臟病學主管邁克爾•米勒博士說：“這一效果非常顯著，血管直徑增大，血管擴張明顯。我們知道，人們在從事體育鍛煉等其他一些活動時血管也會擴張。”此外，服用他汀類藥物和血管緊張素轉化酶抑制劑也會出現類似效果。

    人體血管擴張得越充分，血液流動就越暢通，導致心臟病和中風的血栓就越不易形成。血管彈性增強還可以預防動脈硬化。

    邁克爾•米勒博士在新奧爾良舉辦的美國心臟病協會研討會上公布了他的研究成果。他說：“這并不是說聽聽音樂就可以不吃藥或者不鍛煉了，但它可以作為保護心臟健康的一個良好的補充。”

    研究人員對10位身體健康、不吸煙的男性和女性進行了測試，這些人都按照要求帶來了自己平時最愛聽的音樂。

    研究人員讓研究對象先聽半小時自己帶來的音樂，再聽半小時讓他們感到焦慮的音樂，并在此期間對他們進行血管功能超聲波檢測。

    實驗結果表明，研究對象在聽自己喜愛的音樂時，血管直徑比正常水平平均增大了26%，而在聽他們不喜歡的音樂時（多為重金屬音樂），血管較平時收縮了6%。

    米勒稱，他在發現“大笑可以使血流更通暢”這一事實后產生了這個想法。

    他說：“我問自己，除了黑巧克力的熱量外，還有什么能讓我們感到愉悅呢？我想到了音樂，音樂能讓我感到真正的愉悅。”

    參與實驗的多數志愿者自帶的是鄉村音樂，但米勒說，只要是自己喜歡，哪種類型的音樂并不重要。