Abstract
Background
We sought to determine the safety and efficacy of repeated 60°C sauna bathing in patients
with chronic systolic congestive heart failure (CHF).
Methods and 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).
Conclusion
Repeated 60°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.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
March 11,
2005
Received in revised form:
March 10,
2005
Received:
October 21,
2004
Kurume, JapanFootnotes
Partially supported and by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research and by a grant for Academic Frontier Project from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, Culture, and Technology, Japan.
Identification
Copyright
© 2005 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
