We know that near infrared saunas kill cancer and that regular sauna use can help with pain and cardiovascular health. And now, a newly published study has found that regular sauna use “could significantly reduce stroke risk.” 1The results were published in the journal Neurology. (If you need me, I’ll be in the sauna for awhile!)
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But, it isn’t just stress that saunas help with (or keeping you from getting sick in the winter). Scientists from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom have taken a look at the sauna’s potential impact on stroke risk and found that “sauna use could halve men’s risk of developing high blood pressure.”2
For the study, the team followed 1,628 participants for an average of 15 years. None of them had a history of stroke and their average age was 63:
“Each person filled out a questionnaire asking how many times they took saunas. They were also asked about a range of other factors that could influence stroke risk, such as alcohol intake, cholesterol levels, physical activity, and blood pressure.
Across the decade and a half, 155 people had a stroke. Individuals who took one sauna per week had a rate of 8.1 strokes per 1,000 person-years. For those who took two to three per week, the rate was 7.4, and for people who took four to seven per week, the rate dropped to 2.8.”3
That works out to a 60 percent less chance of stroke if you take a sauna just four to seven times a week (versus those who only took one a week). And these findings took into account smoking and cholesterol levels. This is incredibly good news.
Senior study author Setor K. Kunutsor, Ph.D. says, “Saunas appear to have a blood pressure-lowering effect, which may underlie the beneficial effect on stroke risk.”4
However, the researchers stress that because the study was observational, it can only show an “association between the amount of saunas taken and stroke risk,”5 not prove anything definitively. So, more study will be needed.
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Make sure to check with your doctor before you start regular sauna visits because people who have recently had a heart attack or those with chest pain or unstable angina should likely avoid using one.
