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Sauna / Heat TherapyEvidence & Dosage

Heat shock proteins, cardiovascular effects, and Finnish sauna cohorts.

Studies last updated

Evidence at a glance

Total studies
486
With abstract
50
Meta / Systematic / RCT
92
Highly cited
50
Publication years
1979–2026

Sauna / Heat Therapy in the context of Methods

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Top studies on Sauna / Heat Therapy

Ranked by influential-citation count and publication year.

  1. Interventions to prevent hypothermia at birth in preterm and/or low birth weight infants.

    Cochrane Database Syst Rev2018n=25Meta-Analysis105 influential citations

    <h4>Background</h4>Newborn admission temperature is a strong predictor of outcomes across all gestations. Hypothermia immediately after birth remains a worldwide issue and, if prolonged, is associated with harm. Keeping preterm infants…

    Finding: Plastic wraps or bags reduced the risk of hypothermia on admission to the NICU or up to two hours after birth compared with routine care.

  2. Effects of poststroke pyrexia on stroke outcome : a meta-analysis of studies in patients.

    Stroke2000n=3,790Meta-Analysis95 influential citations

    <h4>Background and purpose</h4>The effect of pyrexia on cerebral ischemia has been extensively studied in animals. In humans, however, such studies are small and the results conflicting. We undertook a meta-analysis using all such…

    Finding: The pooled odds ratio for mortality was 1.19.

  3. Hyperthermia induced by transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) antagonists in human clinical trials: Insights from mathematical modeling and meta-analysis.

    Pharmacol Ther2020Meta-Analysis80 influential citations

    Antagonists of the transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1) channel alter body temperature (T<sub>b</sub>) in laboratory animals and humans: most cause hyperthermia; some produce hypothermia; and yet others have no effect. TRPV1…

  4. Hyperthermia and Radiation Therapy in Locoregional Recurrent Breast Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

    Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys2016n=211Meta-Analysis67 influential citations

    <h4>Purpose</h4>To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the outcome of hyperthermia (HT) and radiation therapy (RT) in locally recurrent breast cancers (LRBCs).<h4>Methods and materials</h4>A total of 708 abstracts…

    Finding: In two-arm studies, hyperthermia plus radiation therapy produced a higher complete response rate than radiation therapy alone in locally recurrent breast cancers.

  5. Maternal hyperthermia and the risk for neural tube defects in offspring: systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Epidemiology2005n=15Meta-Analysis63 influential citations

    <h4>Background</h4>In animals, excessive core body temperatures have been documented to cause malformations; neural tube defects (NTDs) are among the most frequently reported. In humans, data are inconclusive and often conflicting. The…

    Finding: Maternal hyperthermia in early pregnancy is associated with increased risk for neural tube defects.

  6. Classic heat stroke in a desert climate: A systematic review of 2632 cases.

    J Intern Med2023n=263Systematic Review62 influential citations

    Background Although classic heat stroke (HS) is one of the most ancient conditions known to humans, the description of its early clinical manifestations, natural course, and complications remains uncertain. Objectives A systematic review…

  7. Exertional Heat Stroke, Modality Cooling Rate, and Survival Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

    Medicina (Kaunas)2020n=521Systematic Review58 influential citations

    Background and Objectives: The purpose of this systematic review is to synthesize the influence cooling modality has on survival with and without medical complications from exertional heat stroke (EHS) in sport and military populations.…

  8. Hyperthermia can alter tumor physiology and improve chemo- and radio-therapy efficacy.

    Adv Drug Deliv Rev2020Systematic Review57 influential citations

    Hyperthermia has demonstrated clinical success in improving the efficacy of both chemo- and radio-therapy in solid tumors. Pre-clinical and clinical research studies have demonstrated that targeted hyperthermia can increase tumor blood…

  9. Epidural analgesia, intrapartum hyperthermia, and neonatal brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    Br J Anaesth2021n=646,296Meta-Analysis51 influential citations

    <h4>Background</h4>Epidural analgesia is associated with intrapartum hyperthermia, and chorioamnionitis is associated with neonatal brain injury. However, it is not known if epidural hyperthermia is associated with neonatal brain injury.…

    Finding: When the mode of analgesia was randomised, epidural analgesia was associated with intrapartum hyperthermia.

  10. The role of a combined regimen with intravesical chemotherapy and hyperthermia in the management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a systematic review.

    Eur Urol2011n=22Systematic Review48 influential citations

    <h4>Context</h4>Due to the suboptimal clinical outcomes of current therapies for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), the search for better therapeutic options continues. One option is chemohyperthermia (C-HT): microwave-induced…

Frequently asked

What does the evidence say about Sauna / Heat Therapy?
Plastic wraps or bags reduced the risk of hypothermia on admission to the NICU or up to two hours after birth compared with routine care.
What dosage was studied?
• Interventions to prevent hypothermia within 10 minutes after birth in the delivery room (e.g., plastic wrap/bag, skin-to-skin care, thermal mattress, combinations) (Single application within 10 minutes after birth) • hyperthermia • TRPV1 antagonists (ABT-102, AZD1386, V116517, NEO6860) (Not reported)
Are there safety considerations for Sauna / Heat Therapy?
• Hyperthermia risk increased with plastic wraps/bags versus routine care. • Hyperthermia increased when plastic bags and thermal mattresses were combined. • Caution advised when multiple warming interventions are used simultaneously. • Fever after stroke onset was associated with higher morbidity and mortality.

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