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Repeated thermal therapy improves impaired vascular endothelial function in patients with coronary risk factors

Masakazu Imamura, MD^*, Sadatoshi Biro, MD^*, Takashi Kihara, MD^*, Shiro Yoshifuku, MD^*, Kunitsugu Takasaki, MD^*, Yutaka Otsuji, MD, FACC^*, Shinichi Minagoe, MD^*, Yoshifumi Toyama, MD and Chuwa Tei, MD, FACC

^* First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Japan
Nanpuh Hospital, Kagoshima, Japan

View larger version (64K): [in a new window]   Figure 1 Representative example of ultrasound images of brachial artery at rest (left) and 60 s after cuff release (right). The diameter of the artery increased from 3.22 mm (rest) to 3.48 mm (after cuff release) in response to increased blood flow. In this case, the percentage of flow-mediated dilation was 8.1%.

View larger version (24K): [in a new window]   Figure 2 Changes in individual percentage of flow-mediated dilation (%FMD) after two weeks of sauna therapy. *p < 0.001 vs. before sauna therapy.

View larger version (19K): [in a new window]   Figure 3 Changes in blood flow of the brachial artery during a single sauna therapy in eight subjects with coronary risk factors. Blood flow significantly increased by 68% after 15 min of sauna therapy and remained elevated by 51% 30 min after sauna therapy. *p < 0.0001 vs. before sauna therapy; **p < 0.05 vs. before sauna therapy.