In this study, researchers, including M. Imamura and his team, looked at whether sauna therapy could improve blood vessel function in people with heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, or smoking. They worked with 25 men who had at least one of these risk factors and compared them to 10 healthy men. The participants in the “risk” group used a sauna at 60°C (about 140°F) for 15 minutes each day for two weeks, followed by 30 minutes of rest. The researchers measured how well their blood vessels were working by checking how the blood flow responded to stress and medication.
The results showed that men with heart disease risk factors initially had poor blood vessel function. After two weeks of sauna therapy, their blood vessels responded better, showing improvement in the way the vessels dilated (or opened up) when needed. However, the response to medication that directly opens blood vessels didn’t change. This suggests that regular sauna use can help improve blood flow and overall heart health, especially for people at risk of heart disease, offering a simple, non-medical treatment that might help manage heart health.
