Key result
Singing-induced acute vascular improvement is linked to past smoking and abnormal baseline endothelial function.
Why the study?
Physical exercise lowers coronary heart disease risk but can be difficult for some individuals, prompting the need for alternative therapies like singing and an evaluation of predictors of biomarker improvement.
Do baseline patient characteristics (prior singing experience, smoking status, baseline endothelial function, effort) predict acute improvements in vascular endothelial function or heart rate variability after 14 minutes of singing?
Observational (n=60)
No
Do baseline patient characteristics (prior singing experience, smoking status, baseline endothelial function, effort) predict acute improvements in vascular endothelial function or heart rate variability after 14 minutes of singing?
Absolute Event Rate: 0.41% vs 0.01%
p-value: p=0.01
A 14-minute singing intervention acutely improves vascular endothelial function, particularly in patients with baseline endothelial dysfunction or a history of smoking, independent of their prior singing experience.
May identify patients for singing-based endothelial interventions; hypothesis-generating and requires randomized confirmation before practice change.
Although regular physical exercise lowers the risk of coronary heart disease in both primary and secondary prevention populations, physical exercise may be difficult for some individuals, prompting the need for alternative therapies. This study is a sub-analysis of a previously completed clinical trial that aimed to assess the effect of singing on cardiac biomarkers. The previous trial included 60 patients recruited from a cardiology clinic (mean age 61 ± 13 years; 68 % women) with measurements of vascular endothelial function and heart rate variability (HRV), and the results showed that 14 min of singing improves endothelial function acutely, similar to a short bout of physical exercise. The present sub-analysis examined whether predictive variables (prior singing experience, gender, age, enjoyment level, effort, smoking history) impacted changes in outcome measures. No significant change was seen in endothelial function or HRV based on exposure variables except for smoking status. Past smoking (compared to never smoking) predicted improvement in vascular endothelial function after singing. Abnormal baseline endothelial function was a predictor of acute improvement in endothelial function. These findings suggest that singing may have beneficial effects on vascular endothelial function, especially in patients with abnormal baseline endothelial function, regardless of singing experience. • Fourteen minutes of singing improves vascular endothelial function • Patient characteristics did not predict change in outcome variables • Prior singing experience did not predict change in outcome variables • Baseline endothelial dysfunction predicted improvement in vascular function
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Somasundaram et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Cardiology clinic patients (n=60). Singing vs. Predictor subgroups (e.g., never smokers, normal baseline endothelial function) was evaluated on Change in reactive hyperemia index (RHI) after singing in past smokers vs never smokers (p=0.01). Past smoking and abnormal baseline endothelial function were significant predictors of acute improvement in vascular endothelial function after 14 minutes of singing, whereas singing experience was not.
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