PMID- 11869837
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 20020320
LR  - 20220331
IS  - 0735-1097 (Print)
IS  - 0735-1097 (Linking)
VI  - 39
IP  - 5
DP  - 2002 Mar 6
TI  - Repeated sauna treatment improves vascular endothelial and cardiac function in 
      patients with chronic heart failure.
PG  - 754-9
AB  - OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism by which 60 
      degrees C sauna treatment improves cardiac function in patients with chronic 
      heart failure (CHF). BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that repeated 60 
      degrees C sauna treatment improves hemodynamic data and clinical symptoms in 
      patients with CHF. We hypothesized that the sauna restores endothelial function 
      and then improves cardiac function. METHODS: Twenty patients (62 plus minus 15 
      years) in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class II or III CHF were 
      treated in a dry sauna at 60 degrees C for 15 min and then kept on bed rest with 
      a blanket for 30 min, daily for two weeks. Ten patients with CHF, matched for 
      age, gender and NYHA functional class, were placed on a bed in a 
      temperature-controlled (24 degrees C) room for 45 min as the nontreated group. 
      Using high-resolution ultrasound, we measured the diameter of the brachial artery 
      at rest and during reactive hyperemia (percent flow-mediated dilation, %FMD: 
      endothelium-dependent dilation), as well as after sublingual administration of 
      nitroglycerin (%NTG: endothelium-independent dilation). Cardiac function was 
      evaluated by measuring the concentrations of plasma brain natriuretic peptide 
      (BNP). RESULTS: Clinical symptoms were improved in 17 of 20 patients after two 
      weeks of sauna therapy. The %FMD after two-week sauna treatment significantly 
      increased from the baseline value, whereas the %NTG-induced dilation did not. 
      Concentrations of BNP after the two-week sauna treatment decreased significantly. 
      In addition, there was a significant correlation between the change in %FMD and 
      the percent improvement in BNP concentrations in the sauna-treated group. In 
      contrast, none of the variables changed at the two-week interval in the 
      nontreated group. CONCLUSIONS: Repeated sauna treatment improves vascular 
      endothelial function, resulting in an improvement in cardiac function and 
      clinical symptoms.
FAU - Kihara, Takashi
AU  - Kihara T
AD  - First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, 
      Kagoshima, Japan.
FAU - Biro, Sadatoshi
AU  - Biro S
FAU - Imamura, Masakazu
AU  - Imamura M
FAU - Yoshifuku, Shiro
AU  - Yoshifuku S
FAU - Takasaki, Kunitsugu
AU  - Takasaki K
FAU - Ikeda, Yoshiyuki
AU  - Ikeda Y
FAU - Otuji, Yutaka
AU  - Otuji Y
FAU - Minagoe, Shinichi
AU  - Minagoe S
FAU - Toyama, Yoshifumi
AU  - Toyama Y
FAU - Tei, Chuwa
AU  - Tei C
LA  - eng
PT  - Clinical Trial
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PL  - United States
TA  - J Am Coll Cardiol
JT  - Journal of the American College of Cardiology
JID - 8301365
SB  - IM
MH  - Adult
MH  - Aged
MH  - Brachial Artery/diagnostic imaging/physiopathology
MH  - Cardiac Output/*physiology
MH  - Chronic Disease
MH  - Coronary Circulation/physiology
MH  - Endothelium, Vascular/diagnostic imaging/*physiopathology
MH  - Female
MH  - Heart Failure/diagnostic imaging/*physiopathology/*therapy
MH  - Hemodynamics/physiology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Male
MH  - Middle Aged
MH  - Retreatment
MH  - Severity of Illness Index
MH  - *Steam Bath
MH  - Ultrasonography
EDAT- 2002/03/01 10:00
MHDA- 2002/03/21 10:01
CRDT- 2002/03/01 10:00
PHST- 2002/03/01 10:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 2002/03/21 10:01 [medline]
PHST- 2002/03/01 10:00 [entrez]
AID - S0735109701018241 [pii]
AID - 10.1016/s0735-1097(01)01824-1 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002 Mar 6;39(5):754-9. doi: 10.1016/s0735-1097(01)01824-1.