Fatal Cardiac Issues Reduced By Time In A Sauna

A sauna can certainly make you sweat. Yet did you know that men who regularly hit the sauna can reduce their risk of fatal cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality, according to recent findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers investigated the association between sauna bathing and the risk of SCD, fatal coronary heart disease (CHD), fatal CVD and all-cause mortality in a group of 2,315 middle-aged men (42 to 60 years old) from eastern Finland.

Findings show that during a median follow-up of nearly 21 years, there were 190 SCDs, 281 fatal CHDs, 407 CVDs and 929 deaths from all causes. When compared to men who reported one sauna bathing session per week, the overall SCD risk was 22 percent lower for 2 to 3 sauna bathing sessions per week and 63 percent lower for 4 to 7 sauna sessions per week. The risk of fatal CHD events was also 23 percent lower for 2 to 3 bathing sessions per week and 48 percent lower for 4 to 7 times a week when compared with men who used the sauna once a week.

Furthermore, sauna bathing 2 to 3 times a week was also associated with a 24 percent lower risk and 4 to 7 times per week with a 40 percent reduction in risk compared to only one sauna session per week. Researchers found that sauna bathing 2 to 3 times per week was associated with a 24 percent lower risk for all-cause mortality. The same was true for 4 to 7 times per week with a 40 percent reduction in risk compared to only one sauna session per week.

The findings also revealed that the amount of time spent in a sauna ultimately made an impact. Men who spent a bit more time in the sauna (such as 11 to 19 minutes) were more likely to benefit from the reduced SCD and fatal CHD and CVD risks. Those who spent less than 11 minutes did not see as great of a reduced risk.