The classic hymn Amazing Grace has inspired countless believers for centuries. As it turns out, singing it may be good for your cardiovascular health, too.
A surprising study of 65 older patients with a history of coronary artery disease found that 30 minutes of singing along to a video with a voice professor improved blood vessel function (technically, microvascular endothelial function).
Participants who sang along with Amazing Grace saw the largest impact -- more than those who sang along to Hey Jude, Jolene, and This Land is Your Land. (This Land is Your Land, the study said, had the least impact.)
“We found that Amazing Grace had the largest effect size,” the study said.
Amazing Grace is a beloved Christian hymn written by John Newton in 1772, celebrated for its powerful message of redemption and divine grace.
Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee conducted the study.
The study’s goal was not primarily to identify which songs had the greatest impact but rather to determine whether singing itself positively affected the health of older patients. Participants chose their own music.
“Singing should be considered as an accessible and safe therapeutic intervention in an older population who otherwise may have physical or orthopedic limitations hindering participation in traditional exercise,” the study said.
The study included patients between 55 and 79 years old with a history of coronary artery disease. The average age was 67.7 years old.
Researchers noted that only 15.3 percent of men and 10.8 percent of women aged 65 and over nationally meet the recommendations for physical activity. The study suggested that music may be an alternative for elderly patients, particularly those who have physical limitations.
“Music as a therapeutic is attractive for a variety of reasons, including minimal risk to patients, ease of use, accessibility, and pervasiveness across cultures,” the study said. “The physiological demands of singing are comparable with walking at a moderately brisk pace, suggesting that the health benefits of singing may overlap with that of exercise. Unlike traditional physical exercise, the impact of singing on cardiovascular health has not been extensively studied.”
The 30-minute sing-along video included a voice professor playing the piano and directing an elderly student in singing.
Researchers said the “impact of singing on cardiovascular health” had “not been extensively studied,” and the new research was designed to “investigate the effect of singing on cardiovascular biomarkers in an aging population with coronary artery disease.”
WATCH: Amazing Grace | John Newton
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Highwaystarz-Photography
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.