title: Waon Therapy for Managing Chronic Heart Failure　- Results From a Multicenter Prospective Randomized WAON-CHF Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Waon therapy improves heart failure (HF) symptoms, but further evidence in patients with advanced HF remains uncertain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 19 institutes, we prospectively enrolled hospitalized patients with advanced HF, who had plasma levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) >500 pg/ml on admission and BNP >300 pg/ml regardless of more than 1 week of medical therapy. Enrolled patients were randomized into Waon therapy or control groups. Waon therapy was performed once daily for 10 days with a far infrared-ray dry sauna maintained at 60℃ for 15 min, followed by bed rest for 30 min covered with a blanket. The primary endpoint was the ratio of BNP before and after treatment. In total, 76 Waon therapy and 73 control patients (mean age 66 years, men 61%, mean plasma BNP 777 pg/ml) were studied. The groups differed only in body mass index and the frequency of diabetes. The plasma BNP, NYHA classification, 6-min walk distance (6MWD), and cardiothoracic ratio significantly improved only in the Waon therapy group. Improvements in NYHA classification, 6MWD, and cardiothoracic ratio were significant in the Waon therapy group, although the change in plasma BNP did not reach statistical significance. No serious adverse events were observed in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Waon therapy, a holistic soothing warmth therapy, showed clinical advantages in safety and efficacy among patients with advanced HF.
authors.affiliation: Waon Therapy Research Institute.
authors.forename: Chuwa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tei
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kinugawa
authors.forename: Teruo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Tohru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuyama
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Hirofumi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Noike
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muramatsu
authors.forename: Yasuchika
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeishi
authors.forename: Keijiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saku
authors.forename: Kazumasa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Harada
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Daida
authors.forename: Youichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Nobuhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagayama
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Momomura
authors.forename: Kazuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yonezawa
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gojo
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akaishi
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miyata
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohishi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D058065:Diabetic Cardiomyopathies / Q000097:blood / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood; D011446:Prospective Studies; D029002:Steam Bath
chemical_list: D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain