Study2020Open access

Repeated Dry Sauna Therapy Improves Quality of Life in Obese Korean People

Choi HS, Kwon H, Cho KH, Thuc LC, Park SY, Kim NH, Kim WJ, Kim YK, Jeon WS, Lee JA, Kim HC, Cho EH

Korean journal of family medicine · 2 citations

How it was studied

Design
Controlled clinical trial (classified by our AI screen)
Studied in
People
Main outcome
Health markers and function

Who paid for it

Funding
Independent funding
Government
U.S. Forest Service
Government
Korea Forest Service
Grants
Korea Forest Service (S111616L040110)

Based on 2 listed funder(s).

Publication

Published
2020-05-21 · Korean J Fam Med · vol. 41 · issue 5 · pp. 312–317
Publisher
Korean Academy of Family Medicine
Cited
5 citations · more than 60% of similar papers · 0.5× the field average
References
27 works
Access
Open access (free to publish) · CC-BY-NC
Research areas
Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Diversity and Impact of Dance · Urban Green Space and Health
Keywords
Medicine, Quality of life (healthcare), Physical therapy, Gerontology, Traditional medicine, Nursing

12 authors

From KR

  • Hoon Sung ChoiKangwon National University
  • Hyuki KwonKangwon National University
  • Keun-Hyok ChoKangwon National University
  • Cong Thuc LeKangwon National University
  • So Young ParkKangwon National University
  • Nam–Hun KimKangwon National University

Abstract

Background

Dry sauna treatments improve the quality of life for chronic pain, congestive heart failure, and type 2 diabetes patients. This study aimed to determine whether dry sauna therapy improved the quality of life of obese people.

Methods

A total of 38 consecutive participants aged over 20 years with a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m2 were recruited for the study. The participants were treated with a 90°C dry sauna for 15 minutes, twice daily for 4 consecutive days. To assess the quality of life, all participants completed the 5 level EQ-5D questionnaires and the EQ-Visual Analog Scale. Study parameters were measured on the same day prior to commencing the sauna sessions in a fasted state and 2 days after the last sauna session.

Results

The average age was 62.3±9.5 years; 84.2% of the participants were female. The mean body mass index was 28.5±2.4 kg/m2. Dry sauna significantly improved the mean 5 level EQ-5D index scores from 0.83±0.12 to 0.89±0.11 and increased the mean EQ-Visual Analog Scale from 79.0±15.2 to 91.1±9.7. However, there were no significant changes in body mass index, blood pressure, heart rate, or body composition before and after the 8-session sauna therapy.

Conclusion

Dry sauna improved the health-related quality of life of obese patients without adverse events. Further clinical studies in larger study populations are needed to verify these findings and provide concrete evidence for obesity treatment.

Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY-NC).

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