Safety and efficacy of repeated sauna bathing in patients with chronic systolic heart failure: a preliminary report.
BACKGROUND
We sought to determine the safety and efficacy of repeated 60 degrees C sauna bathing in patients with chronic systolic congestive heart failure (CHF).


RESULTS
This study included 15 hospitalized CHF patients (New York Heart Association class = 2.8 +/- 0.4) in stable clinical condition on conventional treatments. Sauna bathing was performed once per day for 4 weeks. Repeated sauna bathing was safely completed without any adverse effects in all patients. Symptoms improved in 13 of 15 patients after 4 weeks. Sauna bathing decreased systolic blood pressure without affecting heart rate, resulting in significant decrease in the rate-pressure product (6811 +/- 1323 to 6292 +/- 1093). Echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly increased from 30 +/- 11 to 34 +/- 11%. Sauna bathing significantly improved exercise tolerance manifested by prolonged 6-minute walking distance (388 +/- 110 to 448 +/- 118 m), increased peak respiratory oxygen uptake (13.3 +/- 1.8 to 16.3 +/- 2.1 mL/kg/min), and enhanced anaerobic threshold (9.4 +/- 1.2 to 11.5 +/- 1.9 mL/kg/min). Four-week bathing significantly reduced plasma epinephrine (40 +/- 42 to 21 +/- 23 pg/mL) and norepinephrine (633 +/- 285 to 443 +/- 292 pg/mL). Sauna bathing reduced the number of hospital admission for CHF (2.5 +/- 1.3 to 0.6 +/- 0.8 per year).


CONCLUSIONS
Repeated 60 degrees C sauna bathing was safe and improved symptoms and exercise tolerance in chronic CHF patients. Sauna bathing may be an effective adjunctive therapy for chronic systolic CHF.
Miyamoto
Hiromitsu
H
The Third Department of Internal Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kai
Hisashi
H
Nakaura
Hiroyuki
H
Osada
Katsunori
K
Mizuta
Yoshihiko
Y
Matsumoto
Akira
A
Imaizumi
Tsutomu
T
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010343:Patient Admission; D011788:Quality of Life; D029002:Steam Bath; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013599:Systole / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015415:Biomarkers; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine