Heart Failure
Heart failure affects about 1% of people aged 65 or older. It is difficult to treat effectively, with readmission rates of up to 50% by 6 months after hospitalization. Heart failure primarily affects the elderly, so as the population ages, the incidence of heart failure is also increasing. Treatment primarily consists of medical therapy, cardiac rehab, and in selected patients, cardiac device implantation. Although not widely utilized, sauna bathing may be an additional treatment modality that can improve the clinical symptoms of patients with heart failure. In addition, there is some evidence that sauna therapy may also be beneficial in the primary prevention of atherosclerotic disease in patients with risk factors, which may help prevent heart failure [2].
The mechanism underlying the robust health benefits observed from sauna therapy in patients with heart failure appears to be related to an improvement in vascular function. In one study, 20 people underwent 8 weeks of repeated hot water immersion treatments, and experienced increased flow-mediated dilation and reduced arterial stiffness [7]. Waon therapy, a form of dry heat therapy similar to sauna bathing, also has been shown to have beneficial structural and molecular effects on the vascular system. Another study compared the vascular effects of Waon therapy with statin therapy. This study in laboratory rats found that the structural and molecular vascular effects of Waon therapy were similar to the effects of fluvastatin [8]. A clinical trial of 20 healthy young women found that sauna bathing every other day for two weeks resulted in a statistically significant 8% drop in total cholesterol [5].
These vascular effects of sauna bathing appear to have significant health benefits in heart failure. In a study of 153 heart failure patients, Waon therapy improved the 6-minute walk distance, the cardiothoracic ratio, and the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification [9]. Another study of 54 patients with chronic heart failure also found that sauna therapy significantly improved the ambulation grade, cardiothoracic ratio, and NYHA functional classification [10]. A third study of 49 heart failure patients found that Waon therapy improved the 6-minute walking distance, left ventricular ejection fraction, flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery, and overall quality of life [11].