Does sauna use lower heart disease risk?

Finnish men who used saunas often had fewer heart deaths over about 20 years. Whether the sauna itself lowers heart disease risk is unknown, because no trial has tested heart attacks or deaths.

Who it's for

Possibly middle-aged men; no group is shown to gain protection from heart disease.

What to expect

Small blood pressure drops in some trials; no proven drop in heart attacks.

Watch out for

Heat can strain people with heart conditions; the sources report no specific harms.

What the studies show

• A study followed 2,315 middle-aged Finnish men for about 21 years. Men who used a sauna 4 to 7 times a week had about a 63% lower relative riskrelative risk How much more or less likely something is in one group than another, as a ratio. A big relative change can still be a small change for any one person. of sudden cardiac death than men who used one once a week. In numbers, 5.0% of the frequent users died this way, against 10.1% of weekly users4Observational study · 2015 · 201 peopleAssociation between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events.Increased frequency of sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of SCD, CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality. Further studies are warranted to establish the potential mechanism that links sauna bathing and cardiovascular health.JAMA Intern Med. These figures compare groups, so one person's gain depends on their starting risk. This is an association, and frequent users may differ in other healthy habits4Observational study · 2015 · 201 peopleAssociation between sauna bathing and fatal cardiovascular and all-cause mortality events.Increased frequency of sauna bathing is associated with a reduced risk of SCD, CHD, CVD, and all-cause mortality. Further studies are warranted to establish the potential mechanism that links sauna bathing and cardiovascular health.JAMA Intern Med.
• A review of 15 studies of heat therapy (saunas, hot baths) lasting 30 to 90 minutes over 10 to 36 sessions found lower blood pressure. The top number fell about 4 mmHg and the bottom number about 4 mmHg compared with controls1Meta-analysis · 2021 · 10 peopleThe effect of heat therapy on blood pressure and peripheral vascular function: A systematic review and meta-analysis.Heat therapy is an effective therapeutic tool to reduce blood pressure and improve macrovascular function. Future research should aim to optimize heat therapy, including the mode and dose, for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease.Exp Physiol.
• A newer review of 20 trials lasting 2 to 15 weeks found no clear overall change in blood pressure, artery function, cholesterol or blood sugar. Whole-body heating lowered the top blood pressure number by about 4 mmHg, but results varied widely between trials3Meta-analysis · 2025Non-acute effects of passive heating interventions on cardiometabolic risk and vascular health: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Current evidence from RCTs indicates that passive heating interventions may not improve most of the cardiometabolic or vascular health markers. While a potential reduction in SBP was observed with systemic heating and among adults with coronary risk, this finding should be interpreted with caution due to high…Am J Prev Cardiol.
• A trial of 41 adults with stable coronary artery disease found 8 weeks of Finnish sauna, 4 times a week, did not improve artery function or blood pressure compared with usual life10Randomized trial · 2023 · 33 peopleFinnish sauna bathing and vascular health of adults with coronary artery disease: a randomized controlled trial.Finnish sauna bathing reduced resting core temperature and improved sweating capacity, indicative of heat acclimation. Despite evidence of heat acclimation, Finnish sauna bathing did not improve markers of endothelial function, microvascular function, arterial stiffness, or blood pressure.J Appl Physiol (1985).
• A trial of 47 inactive adults with heart risk factors found that adding a 15-minute sauna after exercise for 8 weeks lowered the top blood pressure number by 8 mmHg and total cholesterol more than exercise alone2Randomized trial · 2022 · 47 peopleEffects of regular sauna bathing in conjunction with exercise on cardiovascular function: a multi-arm, randomized controlled trial.Sauna bathing is a valuable lifestyle tool that complements exercise for improving CRF and decreasing systolic BP. Future research should focus on the duration and frequency of exposure to ascertain the dose-response relationship.Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. The trial was small and short.

Key studies

What we don't know

• Whether saunas prevent heart attacks or deaths. No trial has run long enough to measure them, and the large cohort included only Finnish men.
• Which sauna type, heat, length and frequency would help, and for whom. Trials in people with coronary disease conflict with those in people at risk. Two registered trials are looking at sauna and blood pressure11Registered trial · 2026Regular Sauna Use to Lower Blood Pressure in Primary AldosteronismClinicalTrials.gov,12Registered trial · 2025Exploring the Health Benefits of Sauna BathingClinicalTrials.gov.