The sauna and the heart: what a study of Finnish men found

The study by Tanjaniina Laukkanen and Jari Laukkanen (2015), why association does not necessarily mean cause and how to use the sauna safely

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Translated from the Albanian original by the editors. Shqip

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Illustration: a flame, a symbol of the heat of the sauna
Original illustration by the lexoshpejt editors. Not a historical photograph or object.
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Finland has millions of saunas for a population of about 5.5 million. Many families use the sauna several times a week, not as a luxury but as part of ordinary life. This gave Finnish researchers a rare opportunity to study its long-term effects.

The 2015 study

In 2015 the researchers Tanjaniina Laukkanen, Jari Laukkanen and their colleagues at the University of Eastern Finland published the results of the KIHD study, which followed 2,315 men aged 42 to 60 for about 20 years. They grouped the men by how many times a week they used the sauna: once, two to three times, or four to seven times.

Compared with those who used it once a week, men who used it four to seven times a week had a markedly lower risk of sudden cardiac death, of death from coronary and cardiovascular disease and of death from any cause during the study period. The association was also stronger with longer sessions, about 19 minutes or more.

What we do not know

This was an observational study, only of men, in a country with a special sauna culture. Men who used the sauna more often may also have had more free time, less stress or better health from the start. The researchers tried to account for some of these factors, but not all. We cannot say for certain that the sauna causes the benefit.

The heat of the sauna asks the heart to work a little as during a brisk walk. But it does not replace the walk.

How it might work

During a sauna session, skin temperature rises, blood vessels widen and the heart rate increases, in some cases as during moderate physical activity. Over time this may improve blood-vessel function and lower blood pressure. These are proposed mechanisms, supported by smaller studies.

How to use it safely

  1. Talk to your doctor if you have heart disease, unstable blood pressure or are pregnant.
  2. Start with short sessions, 5–10 minutes, and increase gradually.
  3. Drink water before and after, because you lose a lot of water through sweat.
  4. Do not drink alcohol before or during the sauna. This combination is linked with serious risks.
  5. Get out at once if you feel dizzy, nauseous or have chest pain.

Sources and further reading

  1. Laukkanen, T., Khan, H., Zaccardi, F. & Laukkanen, J. A. (2015). Association between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events. JAMA Internal Medicine, 175(4), 542–548. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.8187
  2. Laukkanen, J. A., Laukkanen, T. & Kunutsor, S. K. (2018). Cardiovascular and other health benefits of sauna bathing: A review of the evidence. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(8), 1111–1121. PubMed

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