In November 2018 researchers from Finland, UK and Austria published the results of their study to assess the association between sauna usage and cardiovascular disease mortality in 1,688 individuals (aged 53-74 years; 51% women). Information on sauna usage was assessed at the start of the study and the individuals were divided into three groups according to the number of sauna sessions undertaken per week; namely 1, 2-3, 4-7 sessions. During an average follow-up period of 15 years there were a total of 181 fatal cardiovascular events. Results showed that a higher sauna usage was strongly associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality. A further analysis revealed that a longer duration (minutes) of each sauna session was also strongly associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality.
Laukkanen T et al. Sauna bathing is associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality and improves risk prediction in men and women: a prospective cohort study. BMC Med. 2018 Nov 29;16(1):219