A music-based digital intervention using superimposed binaural beats reduces systolic blood pressure in stressed working-aged adults: A preliminary randomized crossover trial

Work-related stress is a significant contributor to cardiovascular risk, necessitating effective and convenient non-pharmacological interventions. This preliminary randomized crossover study investigated the short-term hemodynamic efficacy of a web-based prototype delivering music and superimposed binaural beats (SBB) to inform larger study. Twenty-eight highly stressed office workers (mean and standard deviation of Perceived stress scale-10: 26.5 ± 4.9) completed two 15-minute interventions in randomized order: music with SBB and identical music alone, separated by a 10-minute washout. Primary outcomes were changes in Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and Heart Rate variability (HRV), alongside secondary outcomes of user feedback. The SBB intervention showed a statistically significant change in SBP compared to the music only condition (median change: -6 mmHg [IQR -11 to 11] vs. 0 mmHg [IQR -5 to 4]; P= 0.024). No statistically significant differences were observed for DBP, HR, or HRV indices. While the System Usability Scale suggested improvement, user satisfaction was rated high (mean 7.4/10). In conclusion, short-term exposure to SBB-embedded music demonstrated acute efficacy in reducing SBP among stressed personnel, supporting the prototype's utilization for immediate physiological stress regulation and providing proof-of-concept data to guide long term, larger-scale clinical trials.