Sauna and Health: Systematic Review with ☸️SAIMSARA.



saimsara.com

Review Stats
Identification of studies via EPMC (all fields) Identification Screening Included Records identified:n=2917Records excluded:n=0 Records assessed for eligibilityn=2917Records excluded:n=2397 Studies included in reviewn=520 PRISMA Diagram generated by ☸️ SAIMSARA
⛛OSMA Triangle Effect-of Predictor → Outcome sauna  →  health Beneficial for patients ΣN=56120 (25%) Harmful for patients ΣN=4634 (2%) Neutral ΣN=167878 (73%) 0 ⛛OSMA Triangle generated by ☸️SAIMSARA
Outcome-Sentiment Meta-Analysis (OSMA): (LLM-only)
Frame: Effect-of Predictor → Outcome • Source: Europe PMC
Outcome: health Typical timepoints: 65-y, 5-y. Reported metrics: %, CI, p.
Common endpoints: Common endpoints: complications, mortality, qol.
Predictor: sauna — exposure/predictor. Routes seen: oral. Typical comparator: traditional and far infrared, non-sauna bathers, intermittent heating, exercise alone….




1. Introduction

Sauna bathing, a practice involving exposure to heat, has been associated with various physiological and health outcomes. This review synthesizes current scientific literature to provide an overview of the health impacts of sauna use across different populations and contexts.

2. Aim

To systematically review and synthesize the available scientific literature on the health effects of sauna bathing.

3. Methods

3.1 Eligibility criteria: This review included original studies and excluded editorials, conference papers, and reviews.

3.2 Study selection: The selection process adhered to the session's keyword gate, focusing on studies relevant to "sauna and health."

3.3 Risk of bias: Risk of bias was qualitatively inferred from study design fields, noting the inclusion of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and prospective cohort studies, alongside mixed-design and cross-sectional studies.

3.4 Synthesis: The synthesis was performed by an autonomous multilayer AI research agent: keyword normalization, retrieval & structuring, and paper synthesis (SAIMSARA).

4. Results

4.1 Study characteristics: The reviewed studies encompassed a range of designs, including RCTs, cohort studies, and cross-sectional and mixed-methods designs. Populations varied widely, from healthy young adults and athletes to individuals with specific health conditions and occupational groups. Typical follow-up periods ranged from acute exposures to several weeks or years, with many studies reporting no follow-up.

4.2 Main numerical result aligned to the query:
Frequent sauna bathing, defined as 4-7 sessions per week, was associated with a reduced risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD) (HR 0.31 [0.16-0.63] for high cardiorespiratory fitness & high frequency vs. normal/high frequency) [154], cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality (HR 0.23 [0.08-0.65] for 4-7 sessions/week vs. ≤1 session/week) [142], and pneumonia (HR 0.56 [0.35-0.88] for ≥4 sessions/week vs. ≤1 session/week) [155]. Moderate to high frequency (4-7 sessions/week) was also linked to lowered risks of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (HR 0.34 [0.16-0.71] for 4-7 sessions vs. ≤1 session) [167]. In contrast, a single infrared sauna session did not improve postprandial blood glucose handling in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus [14].

4.3 Topic synthesis:



5. Discussion

5.1 Principal finding: Frequent sauna bathing, particularly 4-7 sessions per week, is associated with significant reductions in the risk of cardiovascular mortality [142], sudden cardiac death [154], pneumonia [155], and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's disease [167].

5.2 Clinical implications:



5.3 Research implications / key gaps:



5.4 Limitations:



5.5 Future directions:



6. Conclusion

Frequent sauna bathing, particularly 4-7 sessions per week, is associated with significant reductions in the risk of cardiovascular mortality [142], sudden cardiac death [154], pneumonia [155], and neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer's disease [167]. While the findings suggest substantial health benefits, many studies rely on observational data with potential confounding factors, and there is considerable heterogeneity in sauna protocols. Future research should focus on RCTs with standardized protocols and mechanistic investigations to confirm causality and optimize therapeutic applications.

References
SAIMSARA Session Index — session.json

Figure 1. Publication-year distribution of included originals
Figure 1. Publication-year distribution of included originals

Figure 2. Study-design distribution of included originals
Figure 2. Study-design distribution

Figure 3. Study-type (directionality) distribution of included originals
Figure 3. Directionality distribution

Figure 4. Main extracted research topics
Figure 4. Main extracted research topics (Results)

Figure 5. Limitations of current studies (topics)
Figure 5. Limitations of current studies (topics)

Figure 6. Future research directions (topics)
Figure 6. Future research directions (topics)