Saunas are a major part of the Finnish culture and the country that holds a population of 5.3 million, also has over 3.3 million saunas. A Finnish study claims that men who engaged in frequent sauna use have a lesser chance of fatal cardiovascular diseases and all cause mortality.
Jari A Laukkanen from the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, investigated the connection between sauna bathing and the risk of SCD, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal CVD and all cause mortality in a group of 2,315 middle aged men.
Results showed that, compared with men who reported one sauna bathing session per week, the risk for SCD was 22 per cent lower for two to three sauna bathing sessions per week, and 63 per cent lower for four to seven sauna sessions per week.
The risk of fatal CHD events was 23 per cent lower for two to three bathing sessions per week and 48 per cent lower for four to seven sauna sessions per week compared to once a week.
CVD death was also 27 per cent lower for men who took saunas two to three times a week and 50 per cent lower for men who were in the sauna four to seven times a week compared with men who indulged just once per week.
For all-cause mortality, sauna bathing two to three times per week was associated with a 24 per cent lower risk and four to seven times per week with a 40 per cent reduction in risk compared to only one sauna session per week.
