Can you use a sauna with a heart condition? New study says, “Yes”

Finns have an exhaustive history with sauna use. Right now, numbers reported show that there are 1.6 million saunas for a country with a population of five million! Nearly every person in Finland takes at least one sauna each week.

But…what about those with heart disease? Americans get mixed messages on this from medical professionals, and it’s easy to receive such news with trepidation. Now, a study just completed from research done in Finland may suggest otherwise.

JAMA Internal Medicine reported the results of this study in February 2015. The study was limited to middle-aged men (average age of 53) that were assessed for more than 20 years! The research allowed for a number of factors often found in heart disease sufferers: existing disease, age, blood pressure & smoking, to name a few.

The conclusion? Pretty stunning. Regular dry sauna use reduced the risk from dying from heart disease by up to 50%. Individuals that had an acute change in their symptoms reduced the risk of sudden death by up to 63%. The observation of Dr. Lari Laukkanen, one of the authors of the study: not only did the sauna use outweigh risks for patients with heart disease, they actually appeared to be more protected from heart disease with frequent sauna use (up to 4-7 times per week).

Exceptions to this rule: Anyone suffering from unstable angina, having experienced a recent heart attack, or aortic valve narrowing should likely refrain from taking a sauna. Until those issues are effectively managed, best to steer clear of sauna sessions.

This study would suggest that the use of a Finnleo Traditional Sauna (skip the steam) or an Infrared Sauna might offer relief and help with stable heart disease. Visit one of our stores today and check out our entire line. What a terrific way to better health!