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 Past studies on the health benefits of saunas have yielded mixed
results because they focused on many different types of sauna and
were too small or brief to assess long-term health outcomes from
routine use, the authors note in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
In the current study, researchers examined only the type of sauna
typically used in Finland, where saunas are engrained in daily life
for many adults. These saunas usually have temperatures of 80 to 100
degrees Celsius (176 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit) and very dry air,
with relative humidity of about 10 to 20 percent.
When they looked at research focused on Finnish saunas, the study
team found routine use associated with a lower risk of many common
chronic health problems as well as a lower risk of premature death
from all causes.
"Beyond pleasure and relaxation, evidence suggests that sauna
bathing has several health benefits, which include reduction in the
risk of vascular diseases such as high blood pressure,
cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke and memory diseases," said lead
author Dr. Jari Laukkanen of the University of Jyvaskyla in Finland.
"Sauna is also related to a lower risk of pulmonary diseases
including asthma, pneumonia and chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease," Laukkanen said by email.
One study in the current analysis, for example, found that going to
the sauna at least four times a week was associated with a roughly
50 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease or
coronary heart disease. This study included 2,315 people and also
linked regular sauna use to a 40 percent lower risk of premature
death from all causes.
Another study in the analysis compared the effects of using the
sauna for 19 minutes versus 11 minutes. In this study, longer sauna
sessions were linked to a 17 percent lower risk of premature death
from all causes, as well as a 36 percent lower chance of death from
heart disease.
In a third study in the analysis, with 1,621 participants, using the
sauna at least four times weekly was tied to a 47 percent lower risk
of developing high blood pressure than going once weekly.
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Yet another study linked at least four weekly sauna visits with
about 66 percent lower risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease than
going just once a week.
Two other studies found going to the sauna at least four times a
week associated with a 41 percent lower risk of respiratory diseases
and a 37 percent lower chance of pneumonia than going once weekly.
The review wasn't a controlled experiment designed to prove whether
or how regular sauna visits might directly reduce the risk of
developing or dying from common health problems. The researchers
also did not pool and analyze data to examine the risk of certain
outcomes across multiple smaller studies.
Still, it's possible that regular sauna bathing helps reduce blood
pressure, inflammation, oxidative stress, circulation of bad
cholesterol and stiffness in the arteries, the authors note.
"When the body is exposed to the heat, blood vessels in the skin
dilate (become wider) to bring blood from the inside of the body to
the skin surface where heat can be exchanged with the environment,"
said Daniel Gagnon of the University of Montreal, who wasn't
involved in the study.
"This response causes the heart to beat faster which in turn
increases the circulation of blood throughout the body," Gagnon said
by email. "Increased blood circulation is generally beneficial for
blood vessel health, and this could be one reason why sauna bathing
is associated with so many health benefits, especially those related
to heart and blood vessel diseases."
Risks of sauna use include dizziness and dangerously low blood
pressure, especially with longer sessions.
SOURCE: https://bit.ly/2MbKoqe Mayo Clinic Proceedings, online July
31, 2018.
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