Frequent sauna baths may protect against dementia

Representation Pic

Representation Pic

London: Frequent sauna bathing can significantly reduce the risk of dementia, especially in elderly men, a new study has found.

In a 20-year follow-up study carried out at the University of Eastern Finland, men taking a sauna four to seven times a week were 66 per cent less likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those taking a sauna once a week. The association between sauna bathing and dementia risk has not been previously investigated.

The effects of sauna bathing on the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia were studied in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study (KIHD), involving more than 2,000 middle-aged men living in the eastern part of Finland.

Previous research has shown that frequent sauna bathing also significantly reduces the risk of sudden cardiac death, death due to coronary artery disease and other cardiac events, and overall mortality.