Overall Mortality
Given sauna bathing’s effects upon the cardiovascular system, it has
been hypothesized that this form of heat therapy might result in a
decreased overall mortality rate. To test this hypothesis, a prospective
cohort study was performed on a samle of 2315 middle-aged Finnish men.
During the median follow-up period of 21 years it was found that those
who sauna bathed 4 to 7 times per week had a 39% lower all-cause
mortality compared to those who bathed only 1 time per week. Those who
bathed 2 to 3 times a week had a 31% lower mortality compared to the
once a week group. In a multivariate analysis adjusting for
cardiovascular risk factors, the mortality benefit was 40% for the 4 to
7 times a week group compared to the once a week group. This study also
found that all-cause mortality was decreased by 17% in those who sauna
bathed for 20 minutes or more a session, compared to thoes who bathed
for 10 minutes or less
[4].