Music could be used as a treatment for heart conditions after being scientists found a link with a change in blood pressure.

Listening to a repeated 10-second rhythm found in various music compositions – particularly by Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi – was found to coincide exactly with changes in blood pressure that reduce the heart rate.

Cardiologist Peter Sleight, of the University of Oxford, is presenting the findings of more than 20 years of research at the British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) conference in Manchester.

The researchers played different music styles to people and analysed each person’s cardiovascular response, including blood pressure and pulse measurements. The responses to either calming or more exciting music were similar between individuals.

Experts said this suggests that music therapy to calm individuals could be relatively simple as it would not need to be tailored to the individual.

Sleight said: “Music is already being used commercially as a calming therapy but this has happened independent of controlled studies into its effectiveness.

“Our research has provided improved understanding as to how music, particularly certain rhythms, can affect your heart and blood vessels.

“But further robust studies are needed, which could reduce scepticism of the real therapeutic role of music.”

Jeremy Pearson, associate medical director at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We know that stress can play a role in cardiovascular disease so the calming effect of music may have some potential as a therapy.

“However, as Sleight points out, more robust evidence is needed before we see cardiologists prescribing a dose of Taylor Swift or 30 minutes of Vivaldi a day.”