Regular Sauna Bathing May Reduce Stroke Risk

Sauna bathing taken for four to seven times a week may lower the risk of stroke. Sauna bathing also has acute effects on the stiffness of the arterial wall which may reduce blood pressure and improve the cardiovascular function.

Regular sauna bathing is linked to a reduction in stroke risk, reports a new international study published in Neurology.

In a 15-year follow-up study, people taking a sauna four to seven times a week were 61 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those taking a sauna once a week. This is the first prospective large-scale study on this topic.

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‘Taking sauna bathing more frequently, i.e., four to seven times a week may lower the risk of stroke. Sauna bathing may have several health benefits such as reduction in blood pressure levels, stimulation of immune system and improvement in the cardiovascular function.’

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, placing a heavy human and economic burden on societies. The reduced risk associated with sauna bathing was found by a team of scientists from the Universities of Eastern Finland, Bristol, Leicester, Emory, Cambridge, and Innsbruck.

The findings are based on the population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) study and involved 1,628 men and women aged 53 to 74 years living in the eastern part of Finland.

Based on their frequency of taking traditional Finnish sauna baths (relative humidity 10-20 percent), the study participants were divided into three groups: those taking a sauna once a week, those taking a sauna two to three times a week, and those taking a sauna four to seven times a week.

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The more frequently saunas were taken, the lower was the risk of stroke. Compared to people taking one sauna session per week, the risk was decreased by 14 percent among those with two to three sessions and 61 percent among those with four to seven sessions.

The association persisted even when taking into account conventional stroke risk factors, such as age, sex, diabetes, body mass index, blood lipids, alcohol consumption, physical activity and socio-economic status. The strength of association was similar in men and women.

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Lead researcher Dr. Setor Kunutsor, from Bristol Medical School: Translational Health Sciences at the University of Bristol's Musculoskeletal Research Unit, said: "The findings are very significant and highlight the multiple health benefits of taking frequent sauna baths."

Previous results from the KIHD study at the University of Eastern Finland have shown that frequent sauna bathing also significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.

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According to the researchers, mechanisms driving the association of sauna bathing with reduced stroke may include a reduction in blood pressure, stimulation of immune system, a positive impact on the autonomic nervous system, and an improved cardiovascular function.

In a recent experimental study, the same group of scientists also showed that sauna bathing has acute effects on the stiffness of the arterial wall, hence influencing blood pressure and cardiac function parameters.

Source-Eurekalert