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

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/m 2 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/m 2. 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.

Use of Warmth for the Treatment of Blues

“…rooms with temperatures varying between 70 °C -100 °C with diverse humidity levels. It is often known for its relaxation, pleasure, and medical benefits [38].…”

“…Sauna therapy carries ancient traditions and wellness techniques of many cultures across the world [37,38]. It's a form of passive heat therapy implemented in dorsal raphe nucleus implicated in mood regulation and antidepressant-like responses [27].…”

Clinical Implication of Korean Dry Sauna Therapy

“…An explanation of the implications of a twice-daily protocol would be helpful. The sauna temperatures were also different between the two studies (90°C versus 60°C) [ 1 , 2 ]. It would be interesting to compare the outcomes stratified by temperature settings.…”

“…Finally, as the authors stated in the limitations section [ 1 ], objective parameters might be useful for quantifying the impact of dry sauna therapy on the quality of life, including blood catecholamine levels and heart rate variability [ 3 ].…”

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I would like to congratulate Choi et al 1) for their successful study on Korean dry sauna therapy where the health-related quality of life of obese people had improved without any adverse events. The therapy included 15 minutes of dry sauna at

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