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How Does Sauna Link To Heart Health? A sauna is a room in which people can relax in dry heat. The room is typically heated to between 70 degrees to 100 degrees Celsius (or 158 degrees to 212 degrees Fahrenheit). In Finland, saunas have been used for thousands of years and sauna use is deeply embedded in Finnish culture. 1 in 3 Finns still use them and it is estimated that around 3.3 million saunas available in Finland with a population of 5.5 million. Most of the saunas are in people’s homes, although they are also standard amenities in offices and factories. Besides being able to help relax and lessen stress levels, a sauna may also have other health benefits. For instance, increased circulation help reduce muscle soreness, improve joint movement, and ease arthritis pain. People with asthma may find relief from some symptoms as a result of using a sauna that may help open airways and loosen phlegm. Relaxing in a hot sauna may affect the heart and blood vessels in a way similar to moderate exercise that may lower the risk of heart disease. That was the findings of a study in Finland that examined the effects of a 30-minute sauna session.
102 middle-aged adults, who did not have heart
disease but did have risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol
or obesity, were recruited for the study. Each participant had a single sauna
session in the traditional Finnish style: dry heat that topped 160 degrees F. On
average, the study found, sauna users' blood pressure lowered by 7 points and
their arteries became more elastic based on non-invasive tests. Moreover, their
heart rate rose from an average of 65 beats per minute before the sauna session
to 81 beats afterward. The results were published online in the ‘Journal of
Human Hypertension’ on December 21, 2017 and subsequently in the January 2018
issue of the ‘European Journal of Preventive Cardiology’.
Using a sauna can raise the skin temperature to roughly 40° C (or 104° F). Heavy sweating occurs when the skin temperature rises. The heart rate also increases to 100-150 beats a minute as the body attempts to keep cool, and blood vessels widen. The increased circulation is similar to one performs low to moderate exercise, depending on the duration of sauna use. According to researchers, a sauna just like a natural diuretic effect that lowers blood pressure and decreases the work load of the heart. Earlier report published April 2015 in ‘JAMA Internal Medicine’ revealed that people who use a sauna regularly may have a lower risk of dying from sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality events in the general male population. In a recent study published in the ‘BMC Medicine Journal’ on November 29, 2018, researchers found that people who use a sauna regularly may be linked to a reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease in those who aged over 50. Cardiovascular disease is a term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. Bathing habits of 1,688 Finnish adults aged above 50, approximately half of which were women, were studied and their health were followed for roughly 15 years. Their findings indicated that higher frequency and duration of sauna bathing are each strongly, inversely, and independently linked to fatal cardiovascular events in middle-aged to elderly males and females. But the researchers stressed their findings were from one region and further study would be needed to generalize across all populations.
Nevertheless, a sauna may not suit everyone.
Anyone who has a cardiovascular problem, on medication to lower blood pressure,
recently had a heart attack, or who is pregnant should seek medical advice
before using a sauna. Dehydration can result from fluid loss while sweating. So,
one should make sure to stay hydrated and drink about 2 to 4 glasses of water
after using a sauna. Meanwhile, one should not drink alcohol prior to or during
a sauna because it can be dangerous. Date: July 25, 2019
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