Key result
Passive heating interventions did not improve most cardiometabolic markers, including a non-significant overall reduction in systolic blood pressure.
Why the study?
Passive heating practices have been linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk in observational studies, but non-acute effects on cardiometabolic and vascular health across randomized controlled trials needed comprehensive evaluation.
Do passive heating interventions improve cardiometabolic and vascular health markers in adults?
Meta-Analysis
Do passive heating interventions improve cardiometabolic and vascular health markers in adults?
Passive heating interventions do not significantly improve most cardiometabolic or vascular health markers, though systemic heating may modestly reduce systolic blood pressure in adults with coronary risk.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Passive heating lacks significant effects on most cardiometabolic and vascular markers; challenges therapeutic interest and supports prioritizing proven interventions.
Backgrounds: Passive heating practices, such as hot water immersion and Finnish sauna bathing, have been associated with reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in observational studies. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively evaluate the present literature about non-acute effects of passive heating interventions on cardiometabolic and vascular health in randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Methods and Results: A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials up to November 4, 2024. We included RCTs that assessed the effects of passive heating interventions of at least one week duration on cardiometabolic and vascular outcomes in adults. Twenty RCTs that tested interventions such as hot water bathing, saunas, hot yoga, and local heating were included in the present review, with durations ranging from 2 to 15 weeks. Our analysis found no significant pooled effects for majority of outcomes, including flow-mediated dilation, pulse wave velocity, resting heart rate, heart rate variability, fasting glucose, HbA1c, total/HDL/LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and C-reactive protein. For systolic blood pressure (SBP), the overall pooled estimate was not statistically significant (-2.46 mmHg [95 % CI: 5.02 to 0.10]; I²=60.3 %). However, subgroup analyses indicated a significant SBP reduction was confined to systemic (whole-body) heating interventions (-4.11 mmHg [-7.36, -0.86]) and in populations with underlying coronary risk or CVD (-2.52 mmHg [-4.26, -0.79]). Conclusions: Current evidence from RCTs indicates that passive heating interventions may not improve most of the cardiometabolic or vascular health markers. While a potential reduction in SBP was observed with systemic heating and among adults with coronary risk, this finding should be interpreted with caution due to high heterogeneity and limitations in the included studies.This systematic review is registered at PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42024621600).
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Hamaya et al. (2025) conducted a meta-analysis in Cardiometabolic and vascular health. Passive heating interventions vs. Control was evaluated on Systolic blood pressure (MD -2.46 mmHg, 95% CI 5.02 to 0.10). Passive heating interventions did not improve most cardiometabolic markers, including a non-significant overall reduction in systolic blood pressure.
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