Regular Sauna Visits Can Reduce Your Risk of a Heart Attack, Research Shows

Want to live a long life with a healthy heart? Research shows this may be possible with regular visits to the sauna.

A team of researchers at the University of Eastern Finland published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine, investigating the link between frequency and duration of sauna bathing with the risk of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality.

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The findings in test subjects were that regular visits to a sauna were associated with lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke. The research tracked a group of 2300 middle-aged men for 20 years, including their number of visits to a sauna. On average, the subjects spent an average of 14 minutes per visit in 175-degree heat.

Also, participants who spent more time in the saunas — 45 minutes or longer per session, compared to those who spent 15 minutes or less — were less likely to suffer cardiovascular-related death.

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Researchers carefully note that the Finnish saunas in which their study was conducted, unlike steam baths and hot tubs, employ dry heat. They are wood-lined rooms typically heated by stove-topped stones, and the air inside is very hot and dry. Visitors in the dry sauna periodically add water to the heated stones to produce a vapor (known as “loyly”).

Another research also concluded that sauna bathing can be beneficial for people with heart diseases such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It can also be relatively safe and beneficial to people with mild heart failure; it is not suitable for people with unstable angina or who have recently suffered a heart attack.

In addition to its potential cardiovascular benefits, visiting infrared saunas for four weeks may reduce chronic pain, arthritis, and even fatigue. Athletes can benefit from adding a trip to the sauna for their exercise regimen, to support cardio health and treat fatigue.

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Precautions When Visiting a Sauna

For safe use, limit your sauna visits to 15-20 minutes. Before and after entering the sauna, it’s advisable not to drink alcohol or take medications that may impair sweating or cause you to overheat. Be sure you’re hydrated, and bring water to the sauna with you.

When leaving the sauna, be aware of your surroundings and stand up slowly — the heat can temporarily lower blood pressure and cause dizziness if you stand too quickly.

Avoid visiting the sauna when ill. And, if you feel unwell during your session, leave the sauna.

Saunas at Home

If you don’t have access to a spa sauna but want to enjoy similar benefits at home, you can buy prebuilt in-home saunas from certain home furniture stores, build your own sauna, or run a steamy hot shower as tolerated before soaking in the bathtub with Epsom salt.

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Saunas in the US

Because saunas are integral in Finnish culture, much of the research work on saunas has been conducted in Finland. Indeed, Finland has as many saunas as they do TV sets, with dry saunas routinely found in homes, offices, and factories. Because saunas are accessible to Finns from every walk of life, it is unlikely that Finnish study participants were already at a lower risk of dying early.

In American society, it is rarer to find a sauna in a household, although you may find a dry sauna at a gym or a dry spa. But cardiovascular disease is very common in America, where one out of four deaths in the country is linked to heart disease.

Read next: Find Out How To Move Daily Without Spending Hours Exercising.

Saunas may help Americans lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease as well. Research shows that moderate-to-high-frequency sauna bathing was linked with reduced risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease among middle-aged men (42-60 years). In the study, participants who use the sauna 4 to 7 times a week were 66% less likely to get dementia and 65% less likely to get Alzheimer’s than those who use a sauna just once a week. However, the study concluded that as much as there is evidence that although these findings are yet to be confirmed, they are promising!

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Final Message

Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of mortality in America and globally. If you don’t work out regularly or want to adopt a natural therapy with cardio benefits, the studies presented here demonstrate the encouraging potential of saunas in helping to maintain good health. You can leverage this holistic method for a longer life and a healthier heart.

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