RESEARCH
Edited by Katie Barnes. Email:
katiebarnes@leisuremedia.com Heart warming
New research shows that having a sauna can aid cardiovascular health – and the more frequent and longer the sessions, the better
Men who went for a sauna four to seven times a week were 63 per cent less likely to die from heart complications T 90
he therapeutic benefits of having a sauna have been proven in a new study* published in February.
Researchers from Finland, where
there’s a strong tradition for this form of heat experience, found that middle-aged men who have frequent sauna sessions are significantly less likely to die from heart disease than those who don’t. In fact, the men who visited a sauna the most, even as much as once a day, experienced the greatest benefits.
Regular benefits A total of 2,315 men from eastern Finland, aged 42–60, were monitored over 21 years. In the follow-up period,
scientists recorded 190 sudden cardiac deaths, 281 fatal causes of coronary heart disease, 407 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 929 deaths from all causes. Those who used saunas regularly,
however, seem to have been protected from heart complications. The risk of sudden cardiac death was found to be 22 per cent lower for men who went to a sauna two or three times a week, and 63 per cent lower for those visiting four to seven times a week. Coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease death rates were similarly cut by using saunas.
Time well spent Participants benefited if they spent longer in the sauna. Those whose
sessions lasted 11–19 minutes were 7 per cent less likely to suffer a sudden cardiac death compared to those who spent less than 11 minutes in the sauna. Men who spent longer than 19
minutes in the heat were linked with a 52 per cent reduced risk. Dr Rita Redberg, editor of JAMA
Internal Medicine and a scientist at the University of California, commented: “Although we don’t know why the men who went to saunas more frequently had greater longevity – whether it’s the time spent in the hot room, the relaxation time, the leisure of a life that allows for more relaxation time, or the camaraderie of the sauna – clearly time spent in the sauna is time well spent.”
*Laukkanen, J et al. Association Between Sauna Bathing and Fatal Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality Events. JAMA Internal Medicine. February 2015 Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital August 2015 © Cybertrek 2015
WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ONSENTIUS/ROBERT KNECKLE
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92