What is it about?
Regular sauna bathing may have cardiovascular benefits, including improving heart failure symptoms, reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and decreasing mortality. Sauna bathing improves vascular function, likely underlying many of its health benefits. To reduce risks, avoid alcohol when sauna bathing and do not bathe alone. Short sessions with cooling breaks may maximize benefits. People with medical conditions should check with their doctor before starting sauna bathing.
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Why is it important?
This article provides a timely review of research showing the potential cardiovascular and cognitive health benefits of sauna bathing. Sauna use is common in some cultures but not widely adopted or studied elsewhere. This article highlights recent studies linking regular sauna bathing to improved heart failure symptoms, lower dementia and Alzheimer's risk, and even reduced mortality. It suggests sauna bathing improves vascular function, which may underlie many of the observed health benefits. This provides a rationale for more research on sauna bathing as a potential low-cost, low-risk intervention to improve cardiovascular and brain health. The findings are particularly significant given the aging population and increased diseases like heart failure and dementia.
Perspectives
I was excited to review the accumulating evidence linking sauna use to cardiovascular benefits and potential protection against dementia. As a physician, I'm always looking for low-cost, low-risk lifestyle approaches to improving health, particularly for older patients and those with conditions like heart failure. The findings here are quite intriguing and suggest sauna bathing deserves more attention as a complementary therapy. As the population ages, saunas could provide a pleasant and social means of improving vascular health. I tried to highlight proposed mechanisms like boosting vascular function. More research on optimal "dosing" - temperature, humidity, duration, frequency - is still needed to maximize benefits while minimizing risks like arrhythmias. I'm cautious about safety but want patients to know about evidence-based complementary approaches like sauna use. This area is ripe for more rigorous study to clarify sauna bathing's role in maintaining and improving cardiovascular health. Consult your doctor first.
Thomas F Heston MD
University of Washington
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Sauna Bathing and the Cardiovascular System, Authorea, Inc.,
DOI: 10.22541/au.151063528.85610105.
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