In fact, a long-term, comprehensive study published in 2015 followed 2,315 Finnish men over 20 years and found that increased sauna use (4 to 7 times weekly) decreased both all-cause mortality and sudden cardiovascular death by a staggering 40% and 48% respectively compared to 1 time per week use.
https://www.foundationhealth.org/our_community/fhp_healthbreak/the_key_to_a_longer_healthier_life_could_be_in_your_backyard_the_health_benefits_of_regular_dry_sauna_use#:~:text=In fact%2C a long-term,1 time per week use.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/sauna-use-linked-longer-life-fewer-fatal-heart-problems-201502257755#:~:text=Over the course of the study%2C 49%,death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
Researchers from the University of Eastern Finland tracked 2,300 middle-aged men for an average of 20 years. They categorized the men into three groups according to how often they used a sauna each week. The men spent an average of 14 minutes per visit baking in 175° F heat. Over the course of the study, 49% of men who went to a sauna once a week died, compared with 38% of those who went two to three times a week and just 31% of those who went four to seven times a week. Frequent visits to a sauna were also associated with lower death rates from cardiovascular disease and stroke.
https://casablui.com/blogs/news/science-link-between-saunas-and-longevity#:~:text=Scientific research confirms the link,disease by up to 50%.
https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(18)30275-1/fulltext
https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/benefits-sauna-bathing-heart-health#:~:text=Sauna and heart health,to improve your total cholesterol.
Sauna and heart health
Sitting in a sauna may be particularly good for your heart. The heat can raise your skin temperature and cause heavy sweating — just a short time in the sauna can produce a pint of sweat. As your body attempts to keep cool, your heart rate increases and may reach 100-150 beats per minute.
Sauna bathing (and an increased heart rate) causes your blood vessels to open, increases circulation and reduces stress levels — like the effects of low or moderate exercise. As a result, sitting in a sauna also benefits:
Blood pressure
Evidence over the past few decades shows that sauna bathing has an immediate positive effect on blood pressure. But for a bigger benefit, combine your sauna bathing with exercise. Recent research(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) finds that using the sauna for 15 minutes after a workout, three times a week, results in a more significant improvement in blood pressure than exercise alone.
Total cholesterol
High blood cholesterol — a waxy substance in your cells — is a major risk factor for heart disease. Lowering your total blood cholesterol by 10% can decrease your risk of heart disease by 30%. The good news is that sweating can raise your good cholesterol levels (HDL) to improve your total cholesterol.
Exercise will certainly help you work up a sweat, and sauna bathing on its own can also reduce total cholesterol levels. But combining the two — sitting in a sauna after your workout — has a more significant effect on total cholesterol.
Cardiovascular respiratory fitness level
Cardiovascular respiratory fitness (CRF) is your body’s ability to deliver oxygen to your muscles and organs during physical activity. A higher CRF level can decrease your risk of heart disease and death.
Regular exercise is one way to improve CRF levels. But whether your CRF levels are high or low, research shows that sauna bathing following exercise is beneficial. If your CRF level is low, exercise followed by 15 minutes in the sauna improves CRF more than exercise alone. If your CRF level is high, adding sauna bathing to your workout routine can reduce your risk of heart-related death, including sudden cardiac death.
Risk of death from heart-related disease
Heart disease causes one out of every five deaths in the United States. And sudden cardiac death (SCD) often has no warning signs. Research shows that sauna bathing may be able to help lower your risk of heart disease. One study(Link is external) (Link opens in new window) followed 2,300 sauna bathers for 20 years and found that the participants who visited the sauna more frequently (four to seven times a week) had lower death rates from heart disease and stroke.
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpregu.00076.2022
