Sauna Use Linked to Better Health — in Finland

By Larry Husten

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Jaye Elizabeth Hefner, MD

Time in the sauna may lead to a longer and healthier life — at least if you're in Finland — suggests a JAMA Internal Medicine study.

Researchers analyzed data on 2300 middle-aged men in Finland who used the sauna. After 20 years' follow-up, rates of sudden cardiac death, fatal coronary heart disease, fatal cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality were significantly reduced in people who used the sauna often. For instance, after adjustment for baseline cardiovascular risk, men with 4–7 sauna sessions weekly had a 63% lower risk for sudden cardiac death than men who had 1 session.

The researchers found no negative effects from increased sauna use; they speculated that this may be due to unique features of Finnish saunas, including the combination of dry heat and high temperatures. They also noted that the results may not be applicable to women or people not accustomed to regular sauna use.

"The first question for those of us in the U.S. is whether sauna versus no sauna is associated with risk reduction, a question they cannot answer in sauna-prevalent Finland," says NEJM Journal Watch Cardiology Editor-in-Chief Harlan Krumholz.