Daily hot bath linked to lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease

REGULAR hot tub bathing is linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke, a new study has found.

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The higher the dose, the better it seems to be for cardiovascular health, with a daily hot bath seemingly more protective than a once or twice weekly one, the findings indicate. The study was published online in the journal Heart.

A linked editorial sounds a note of caution, however, because sudden death associated with hot baths is relatively common in Japan, where the study was conducted. Having a bath is associated with good sleep quality and better self-rated health, but it's not clear what its long term impact might be on cardiovascular disease risk, including heart attack, sudden cardiac death, and stroke.

To explore this further, the researchers drew on participants in The Japan Public Health Center based Study Cohort 1, a population based tracking study of more than 61,000 middle aged adults (45 to 59 years).

At the start of the study in 1990, some 43,000 participants completed a detailed questionnaire on their bathing habits and potentially influential factors: lifestyle, to include exercise, diet, alcohol intake, weight (BMI); average sleep duration; and medical history and current medicines use.