Regularly visiting saunas ‘cuts risk of death from heart attack or stroke’
Scientists found that the heat makes the heart pump in a similar way to exercise
REGULAR sweats in a sauna cut the risk of death from heart attack or stroke, experts claim.
The heat makes the heart pump in a similar way to exercise, opens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure.
Scientists examined sauna habits of 1,688 over-50s and tracked their health for an average of 15 years.
The more time someone spent in a sauna, the less likely they were to die of diseases affecting the heart or blood vessels.
Even people with poor fitness benefited, boffins at Eastern Finland University said.
Prof Jari Laukkanen added: “Higher frequency of sauna bathing may be related to lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.”
Those who steam up two or three times a week slash heart attack or stroke risk by 25 per cent. Four to seven sessions cuts the danger by 77 per cent.
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The recommended sauna temperature is 80C to 100C, with sessions lasting around five to 20 minutes.
But Prof Kausik Ray, of Imperial College London, said it was likely people using saunas also have better diet and take more care of their health.
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