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 degrees 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.