Saunas seem to help lower blood pressure, might prevent strokes

Now, here's some news I can appreciate - saunas might lower stroke risk:

Middle-aged and elderly men and women who had four to seven hot, dry sauna bathing sessions a week were 60% less likely to have a stroke over a 15-year period than those who had one weekly session, reported Setor Kunutsor, PhD, of the University of Bristol, U.K., and colleagues online in Neurology.

These results "are very strong and consistent, given that we have previously shown that sauna use reduces the risk of cardiovascular mortality," Kunutsor told MedPage Today.
Saunas -- which are found in nearly every home in Finland -- have been linked to lower cardiovascular disease and overall mortality, but have not been studied in stroke until now.

"Sauna appears to have a blood pressure-lowering effect," Kunutsor said. "Since the majority of strokes can be attributed to hypertension, sauna use may reduce the risk of stroke via reduction in blood pressure." Sauna also may stimulate the immune system, stabilize the autonomic nervous system, and reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, arterial stiffness, and vascular resistance, he noted