Anxiety and depression exert harmful effects on overall health. Numerous studies have shown that stress, anxiety, and other negative emotional states adversely affect heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), and cardiovascular disease risk. These mood disturbances have also been associated with stroke, heart failure, diabetes, respiratory conditions, and substance abuse. Such negative emotions influence HR and BP through interactions between the nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Growing evidence suggests that music may help alleviate anxiety and depression. Cherry reported that music can produce wide-ranging psychological benefits, including enhanced cognitive performance, reduced stress, improved athletic output, and better sleep quality. Similarly, Gold et al. found that individuals exposed to music were more effective at completing tasks than those who were not.

Despite these promising findings, prior research on the effects of music on HR, BP, and mood remains inconsistent, often due to heterogeneous methods and small sample sizes. Additional limitations include narrow age ranges and the absence of mood assessments.

To build on this body of research, our study investigated the effects of classical music on HR, BP, and mood states using two compositions by Beethoven: Symphony of Fate and Moonlight Sonata.