Acute effects of Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion on haemodynamic variables and autonomic nervous system activity in patients with heart failure
Radtke T, Poerschke D, Wilhelm M, Trachsel LD, Tschanz H, Matter F, Jauslin D, Saner H, Schmid JP
European journal of preventive cardiology · 41 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2015-07-07 · Eur J Prev Cardiol · vol. 23 · issue 6 · pp. 593–601
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Cited
- 58 citations · more than 93% of similar papers · 3.7× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 27 works
- Access
- Paywalled
- Research areas
- Thermoregulation and physiological responses · High Altitude and Hypoxia · Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- Medicine, Autonomic nervous system, Hemodynamics, Heart failure, Cardiology, Internal medicine, Anesthesia, Heart rate, Blood pressure
- MeSH
- heart, sympathetic nervous system, humans, chronic disease, water, cardiac output, treatment outcome, steam bath, immersion, blood pressure, heart rate, time factors, aged, middle aged, switzerland, male, coronary artery disease, heart failure, hemodynamics, cold temperature
9 authors
From CH
- Thomas RadtkeUniversity of Bern
- Daniel PoerschkeUniversity of Bern
- Matthias WilhelmUniversity of Bern
- Lukas D. TrachselUniversity of Bern
- Hansueli TschanzBerner Augenklinik am Lindenhofspital
- Friederike MatterBerner Augenklinik am Lindenhofspital
Abstract
Background
The haemodynamic response to Finnish sauna and subsequent cold-water immersion in heart failure patients is unknown.
Methods
Haemodynamic response to two consecutive Finnish sauna (80℃) exposures, followed by a final head-out cold-water immersion (12℃) was measured in 37 male participants: chronic heart failure (n = 12, 61.8 ± 9.2 years), coronary artery disease (n = 13, 61.2 ± 10.6 years) and control subjects (n = 12, 60.9 ± 8.9 years). Cardiac output was measured non-invasively with an inert gas rebreathing method prior to and immediately after the first sauna exposure and after cold-water immersion, respectively. Blood pressure was measured before, twice during and after sauna. The autonomic nervous system was assessed by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Total power, low-frequency and high-frequency components were evaluated. The low frequency/high frequency ratio was used as a marker of sympathovagal balance. Sauna and cold-water immersion were well tolerated by all subjects.
Results
Cardiac output and heart rate significantly increased in all groups after sauna and cold-water immersion (p < 0.05), except for coronary artery disease patients after sauna exposure. Systolic blood pressure during sauna decreased significantly in all groups with a nadir after 6 min (all p < 0.05). Cold-water immersion significantly increased systolic blood pressure in all groups (p < 0.05). No change in the low/high frequency ratio was found in chronic heart failure patients. In coronary artery disease patients and controls a prolonged increase in low frequency/high frequency ratio was observed after the first sauna exposure.
Conclusions
Acute exposure to Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion causes haemodynamic alterations in chronic heart failure patients similarly to control subjects and in particular did not provoke an excessive increase in adrenergic activity or complex arrhythmias.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
Community trust
Loading…
How much do you trust this study's findings?
Comments
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inSomething wrong here?
Flag this study if its information, labels or funding look wrong. An editor reviews every flag.
Sign in to rate, comment on or flag this study.Sign inEducational information about published research. Not medical advice, and not a recommendation to start or stop anything.