THERE are many so-called cures for high blood pressure — exercise, a glass of red wine or a relaxing bath — but now the answer might be listening to some classical music.

Scientific research conducted by Prof Peter Sleight, a renowned cardiologist who works at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, has found that high blood pressure can be lowered by listening to a concerto or two by Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart — and especially Verdi.

So there you are: The next time you are stuck in a traffic jam on the Oxford bypass, or struggling to get back home on a gridlocked A34 after a shocking day at work, the answer might be to slip on a CD of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, rather than shout at the sat nav or the car in front of you.