Sauna can reduce the risk of dementia

Sergey Syrov, XX2 century, based on the materials of the University of Eastern Finland: Frequent sauna bathing protects men against dementia

Frequent sauna visits can reduce the risk of developing dementia. This conclusion can be drawn from the data of a study conducted at the University of Eastern Finland.

Over a 20-year follow-up period, men who went to the sauna 4-7 times a week were 66% less likely to develop dementia than those who visited the sauna once a week. The association between sauna and dementia risk is being investigated for the first time.

The effect of sauna on the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia was studied according to data obtained during the project on the study of risk factors for coronary heart Disease in Kuopio (Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study, KIHD), which was attended by more than 2,000 middle-aged men living in Kuopio. Based on the data on sauna visits, the study participants were divided into three groups: those who go to the sauna once a week, 2-3 times a week and real lovers of this pleasure who visit the sauna 4-7 times a week.

The more often a Finnish man went to the sauna, the lower his risk of developing dementia was. Sauna 4-7 times a week is associated with a 66% reduction in the risk of developing any form of dementia, and the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease is 65% lower than those who have a sauna once a week. The results are published in the journal Age and Aging (Laukkanen et al., Sauna bathing is inversely associated with dementia and Alzheimer's disease in middle-aged Finnish men – VM).

Earlier studies on the KIHD database have shown that frequent sauna visits significantly reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, the risk of death due to coronary heart disease and other cardiac events, as well as the risk of death from any cause. According to Professor Jari Laukkanen, the head of the study, sauna visits can protect our heart and memory through mechanisms that are currently poorly understood.

"However, it is known that the health of the cardiovascular system is also associated with the work of the brain. The feeling of well-being and relaxation while bathing in the sauna can also play a role."

Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru  20.12.2016