Sauna Bathing and Incident Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Plain-language summary

This study set out to see whether regular sauna use might lower the risk of developing high blood pressure. It tracked 1,621 middle-aged Finnish men without hypertension at the start, recording how often they used a sauna and whether they later developed high blood pressure (defined as a doctor's diagnosis, blood pressure over 140/90, or starting medication). Over nearly 25 years, men who used the sauna more often had a lower risk of hypertension, with the most frequent users (4-7 sessions a week) showing roughly half the risk of those who went once a week. The link held even after accounting for factors like age, weight, smoking, and fitness.

Key findings

• Men who used the sauna 2-3 times a week had a 24% lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who went once a week.
• Men who used the sauna 4-7 times a week had a 46% lower risk of developing high blood pressure compared to those who went once a week.
• The protective link held even after adjusting for factors like age, weight, smoking, and fitness.