BackgroundThe aim of the present study was to determine whether repeated 60°C sauna treatment improves cardiac arrhythmias in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients, because ventricular arrhythmias are an important therapeutic target in CHF. Methods and Results Thirty patients (59±3 years) with New York Heart Association functional class II or III CHF and at least 200 premature ventricular contractions (PVCs)/24 h assessed by 24-h Holter recordings were studied. They were randomized into sauna-treated (n=20) or non-treated (n=10) groups. The sauna-treated group underwent a 2-week program of a daily 60°C far infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 min, followed by 30 min bed rest with blankets, for 5 days per week. Patients in the non-treated group had bed rest in a temperature-controlled room (24°C) for 45 min. The total numbers of PVCs/24 h in the sauna-treated group decreased compared with the non-treated group [848±415 vs 3,097±1,033/24 h, p<0.01]. Heart rate variability (SDNN, standard deviation of normal-to-normal beat interval) increased [142±10 (n=16) vs 112±11 ms (n=8), p<0.05] and plasma brain natriuretic peptide concentrations decreased [229±54 vs 419±110 pg/ml, p<0.05] in the sauna-treated group compared with the non-treated group. Conclusion Repeated sauna treatment improves ventricular arrhythmias in patients with CHF. (Circ J 2004; 68: 1146 -1151

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BN patients exhibit elevated ghrelin levels before meals with reduced ghrelin suppression after eating. In bulimia nervosa subjects, the rise in PYY levels after meals is also blunted. A gut-hypothalamic pathway involving peripheral signals, such as ghrelin and PYY, may be involved in the pathophysiology of BN.

SUMMARYWe have reported that repeated sauna therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in a patient with coronary risk factors. We hypothesized that sauna therapy decreases urinary 8-epi-prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ) levels as a marker of oxidative stress and conducted a randomized, controlled study. Twenty-eight patients with at least one coronary risk factor were divided into a sauna group (n = 14) and non-sauna group (n = 14). Sauna therapy was performed with a 60°C far infrared-ray dry sauna for 15 minutes and then bed rest with a blanket for 30 minutes once a day for two weeks.Systolic blood pressure and increased urinary 8-epi-PGF 2α levels in the sauna group were significantly lower than those in the non-sauna group at two weeks after admission (110 ± 15 mmHg vs 122 ± 13 mmHg, P < 0.05, 230 ± 67 pg/mg • creatinine vs 380 ± 101 pg/mg • creatinine, P < 0.0001, respectively). These results suggest that repeated sauna therapy may protect against oxidative stress, which leads to the prevention of atherosclerosis. ( diabetes mellitus, 3) and smoking. 4) Oxidative stress is also known to induce gene mutations and is related to carcinogenesis. 5) Therefore, effective control of oxidative stress is important for the prevention and treatment of such diseases. F 2 -isoprostanes, namely 8-epi-prostaglandin F 2α (8-epi-PGF 2α ), are chemically stable products of lipid peroxidation and the urinary 8-epi-PGF 2α level has been suggested to be a reliable marker of oxidative stress in vivo. 6)We have reported that repeated sauna therapy improved vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and smoking.7) Furthermore, we found that repeated sauna therapy upregulates mRNA and protein expression of arterial endothelial From the

Systemic thermal therapy, such as taking a warm-water bath and sauna, induces systemic vasodilation. It was found that repeated sauna therapy (60 degrees C for 15 min) improved hemodynamic parameters, clinical symptoms, cardiac function, and vascular endothelial function in patients with congestive heart failure. Vascular endothelial function is impaired in subjects with lifestyle-related diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and smoking. Sauna therapy also improved endothelial dysfunction in these subjects, suggesting a preventive role for atherosclerosis. In animal experiments, sauna therapy increases mRNA and protein levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in aortas. In normal-weight patients with appetite loss, repeated sauna therapy increased plasma ghrelin concentrations and daily caloric intake and improved feeding behavior. In obese patients, the body weight and body fat significantly decreased after 2 weeks of sauna therapy without increase of plasma ghrelin concentrations. On the basis of these data, sauna therapy may be a promising therapy for patients with lifestyle-related diseases.