Acute effects of Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion on haemodynamic variables and autonomic nervous system activity in patients with heart failure.
Journal article

Acute effects of Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion on haemodynamic variables and autonomic nervous system activity in patients with heart failure.

  • Radtke T Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
  • Poerschke D Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
  • Wilhelm M Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
  • Trachsel LD Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
  • Tschanz H Berner Reha Zentrum, Heiligenschwendi, Switzerland.
  • Matter F Berner Reha Zentrum, Heiligenschwendi, Switzerland.
  • Jauslin D Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
  • Saner H Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland.
  • Schmid JP Division of Cardiovascular Prevention, Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland jean-paul.schmid@spitalnetzbern.ch.
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  • 2015-07-09
Published in:
  • European journal of preventive cardiology. - 2016
English BACKGROUND
The haemodynamic response to Finnish sauna and subsequent cold-water immersion in heart failure patients is unknown.


METHODS
Haemodynamic response to two consecutive Finnish sauna (80℃) exposures, followed by a final head-out cold-water immersion (12℃) was measured in 37 male participants: chronic heart failure (n = 12, 61.8 ± 9.2 years), coronary artery disease (n = 13, 61.2 ± 10.6 years) and control subjects (n = 12, 60.9 ± 8.9 years). Cardiac output was measured non-invasively with an inert gas rebreathing method prior to and immediately after the first sauna exposure and after cold-water immersion, respectively. Blood pressure was measured before, twice during and after sauna. The autonomic nervous system was assessed by power spectral analysis of heart rate variability. Total power, low-frequency and high-frequency components were evaluated. The low frequency/high frequency ratio was used as a marker of sympathovagal balance. Sauna and cold-water immersion were well tolerated by all subjects.


RESULTS
Cardiac output and heart rate significantly increased in all groups after sauna and cold-water immersion (p < 0.05), except for coronary artery disease patients after sauna exposure. Systolic blood pressure during sauna decreased significantly in all groups with a nadir after 6 min (all p < 0.05). Cold-water immersion significantly increased systolic blood pressure in all groups (p < 0.05). No change in the low/high frequency ratio was found in chronic heart failure patients. In coronary artery disease patients and controls a prolonged increase in low frequency/high frequency ratio was observed after the first sauna exposure.


CONCLUSIONS
Acute exposure to Finnish sauna and cold-water immersion causes haemodynamic alterations in chronic heart failure patients similarly to control subjects and in particular did not provoke an excessive increase in adrenergic activity or complex arrhythmias.
Language
  • English
Open access status
closed
Identifiers
Persistent URL
https://sonar.ch/global/documents/141
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