Saunas Save Middle-Aged Men From Heart Attack

The dry heat from the saunas help middle-aged men from heart attack, says lead author Dr Jari Laukkanen, in a study published in the journal Jama Internal Medicine. Saunas referred to as poor man’s pharmacy is reported to cut the heart attack rates by 63 percent in middle-aged men.

Saunas are native to Finland and has been taking place for tens of hundreds of years, says the telegraph.co.uk . The people who settled in Finland dug holes on the earth, filled it up with hot stones and sprinkled water on them to get the dry heat known as loyly. The present day saunas maintained a temperature of 158-176 degrees Fahrenheit.

The researchers studied 2,315 men from Eastern Finland aged between 42 and 60 for over 21 years. During the study period, 281 fatal cases of coronary heart disease, 190 sudden cardiac deaths, 407 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 929 deaths from various other causes were reported, said the researchers.

The middle-aged men who regularly had saunas were found to be protected from cardiac problems. About 22 percent lower risk of sudden cardiac problems is observed in men who had saunas thrice a week and nearly 63 percent lower risk in those who had saunas four to seven times a week, said the researchers.

Lower risk of coronary heart disease in men who had saunas for two to three and four to seven sessions a week were 23 and 48 percent, respectively. The cardiovascular deaths were reduced by 23 and 50 percent in men who visited saunas two to three and four to seven times a week, respectively, reported the researchers.

The longer the time spent in the saunas, the higher were the health benefits, said the researchers. Dr Rita Redberg from the University of California, and editor of Jama Internal medicine, said that though it is not clear how saunas benefitted the body, it is very sure that time spent in the saunas are well spent.

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