Levels of anxiety likewise vary according to individual temperament and the patient’s prior experiences with medical procedures. Pfister described the range of emotions that can be found in an anxious or stressed patient, including irritability, worry, and uneasiness.4 Those with a personality prone to anxiety required higher amounts of anesthetic and incurred a greater amount of complications associated with anxiety.4 Pfister observed how personalities that are often more prone to high-levels of anxiety (i.e., those who are critical, nervous, possessing low self-esteem, and those seeking a high level of control) are soothed by music prior, during, and immediately after being subjected to angiography or angioplasty. The release of adrenaline as these emotions peak can potentially result in cardiac dysrhythmias during surgical procedures. Studies have shown that music minimizes the production of cortisol in the patient’s body prior to conducting surgical procedures.4 Cortisol is released by the body in response to a stressful condition, such as the anticipation of the medical procedure. Because cortisol is significantly reduced through the use of music therapy, it would therefore be safe to say that music can be a major factor in the effort to reduce the patient’s anxiety and stress. One study, which sought to evaluate the post-op behaviors of patients, noted that music significantly reduced the cortisol levels among patients during the post-op period as compared to a group of patients who were not subjected to music therapy during the duration of their confinement.4