Going to the sauna regularly may be linked to a lower risk of stroke, according to a new study. The study was conducted in Finland, where saunas originated and almost every home has one. The study included 1,628 people with a mean age of 63 without a history of stroke, who were followed for an average of 15 years. Participants completed questionnaires about how often they used saunas and other factors, such as exercise and alcohol consumption. Their cholesterol, blood pressure and other factors that may influence stroke risk were also tested at the start of the study.
During the study follow-up, 155 people suffered a stroke. The stroke rate per 1,000 person-years was 8.1 for those who used one sauna per week, compared with 7.4 for those who took two to three saunas per week and 2.8 for those who took four to seven saunas per week. Those who used a sauna four to seven times a week were 60 percent less likely to have a stroke than people who only used one sauna a week. The results were the same after researchers adjusted for other factors that may affect stroke risk, such as high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes and physical activity.
A limitation of the study was that the research was based on traditional Finnish saunas and that the results cannot be applied to other types of heat therapy, such as exposure to infrared heat, steam baths and hot tubs. There is some evidence that some people should not use saunas, including those who have recently had a heart attack and those with unstable angina or chest pain. Older people with low blood pressure should be careful when taking a sauna.
