CHICAGO — Frequent sauna baths may help you live longer, a study of Finnish men suggests. It would be welcome news if proven true — in Finland where hot, dry saunas are commonplace, and for Americans shivering in a snowy Nordic-like winter.
Previous research suggested that saunas might improve blood vessel function and exercise capacity, and lower blood pressure in patients with hypertension. The new study links long, hot sauna baths with even more benefits, including fewer deaths from heart attacks, strokes, various heart-related conditions and other causes.
Five things to know about the research, released recently in JAMA Internal Medicine:
• THE METHODS: About 2,300 Finnish men, in their early 50s on average, were asked how often they used saunas. The rates ranged from once weekly to every day. During almost 20 years of follow-up, more than 900 men died. The researchers took into account characteristics in addition to sauna use that would affect survival, including cigarette smoking, weight, physical activity, blood pressure and cholesterol, and income.
• THE RESULTS: Deaths from heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems were nearly two times more common in men who used saunas once weekly than in those who used saunas at least four times weekly. Deaths from other causes were also more common in men who used saunas infrequently.