EFFECT OF MUSIC THERAPY ON MENOPAUSAL WOMEN AT A HIGH RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

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EFFECT OF MUSIC THERAPY ON MENOPAUSAL WOMEN
AT A HIGH RISK FOR CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE
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Purpose/ Problem Statement
In the current health situation, cardiovascular diseases are considered to be the
leading cause of death among Canadian women. Two in every three women have one of several
significant risks factors for heart diseases. It is quite evident that women are underrepresented in
prevention and health studies. Therefore, this study focuses on finding out whether musical
therapy is effective in menopausal women suffering from cardiovascular diseases. According to
Goodman (2011), issued with the opposite of estrogen and androgen effects on cardiovascular
disease uncertainty, it is quite an evidence that androgen predicts a better increase in
cardiovascular disease in women over the age of 50 or in their menopause period. With a high
level of androgen in women in their menopause period, music therapy has been found to reduce
blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate, especially in menopause women suffering from
coronary heart disease. Benefits associated with music therapy decreases the level of anxiety,
heart rate, and blood pressure to women above the age of fifty who are suffering from
cardiovascular heart diseases (Goodman, 2011).
Goodman (2011) maintains that cardiovascular diseases are considered to be the leading
causes of mortality in women across Canada as well as in the bigger part of the industrialized
world. In 1993, CVD accounted for an approximate of 39% of all deaths within Canada, which
made 8%, happened due to stroke, 22% heart disease, and 9% other CDV related diseases. The
problem of CVD for women in Canada pronounced 41% of all deaths of menopausal women
across the country. Women at their menopausal state have a higher risk of developing
cardiovascular disease. It is connected to the drop of estrogen in menopausal women. 13% of
menopausal women have blood pressure, with 45% have high blood cholesterol. It increases the 
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risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases. In Canada, a woman risk of death from CDV for
times after menopause period. This is the result of the rate of stroke, which increases during the
menopausal stage (Goodman, 2011).

Significance and relevance of the study
The relevance and significance of this investigation are aimed at understanding
music therapy with the main focus on understanding its effect on cardiovascular disease. The aim
was to understand the step involved in music therapy to facilitate a positive impact on
cardiovascular diseases, especially to women in their menopausal stage. With improved mood
exhibited in music therapy, cardiovascular patients can reduce their level of anxiety, thus
lowering risk displayed by this disease, especially in menopausal women. It is quite evident that
the effects of music therapy in cardiovascular diseases will be discussed in this study concerning
the menopausal stage of the patients. Leow et al. (2010) assert that menopausal patients’
experiences high levels of anxiety, and this causes the risk of suffering from cardiovascular
diseases. There is the need to conduct a comprehensive study on whether music therapy may
reduce the level of anxiety, which, in the end, may reduce the possibility of acquiring
cardiovascular diseases.
Research Question/Hypotheses
Leow et al. (2010) maintain that medicine and music have been closest partners since the
beginning of western medicinal practice. Music therapy is considered to be an allied health
profession and one of the most expressive therapies. This therapy is deemed to primarily assist
patients to improve their health across several domains but especially on cardiovascular 
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diseases. According to Leow et al. (2010), music therapy, which consists of faster tempo,
increases breathing, proper blood pressure, and improves heart rate. Music induces a gradual and
continuous dynamic change to patients with cardiovascular diseases. With this notable effect, it
is quite important to develop studies which will identify if the same effect caused on a patient
who suffers from cardiovascular disease and is in their menopausal period. For menopausal
cardiovascular patients, changes brought by music therapy may be considered as the substrate for
the emotion which may likely take a bi-directional way (Leow et al. 2010).
The research indicates that every crescendo from music therapy leads to narrowing of
blood vessels thus increased heart rate and respiratory amplitude for the patients (Leow et al.
2010). It was indicated that music is a productive way of impacting positive effects on
menopausal cardiovascular patients. From these researches, the proposed question is:
 What the effects of music therapy on menopausal women who are at a high risk of
acquiring cardiovascular disease are?
From the above indicate research question, three main hypotheses are going to be tackled
in this study