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

作者：Radtke Thomas; Poerschke Daniel; Wilhelm Matthias; Trachsel Lukas D; Tschanz Hansueli; Matter Friederike; Jauslin Daniel; Saner Hugo; Schmid Jean Paul^*

来源：European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, 2016, 23(6): 593-601.

DOI：10.1177/2047487315594506

• Heat exposure
• cardiac output
• sympathetic nervous system activity
• heart failure
• cold-water immersion

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, 61.89.2 years), coronary artery disease (n=13, 61.210.6 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 6min (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.

• 出版日期2016-4