Does regular sauna use help you live longer?
Regular sauna use is consistently linked to a lower risk of early death and heart problems in studies following large numbers of people over many years, but whether the sauna actually causes this has not been proven. For healthy adults, it is a safe addition to an active lifestyle, not a replacement for one.
Large studies consistently show that people who use the sauna more often have a lower risk of dying early. But this is not proof of cause and effect. Healthier people simply tend to visit the sauna more often, which clouds the results.
The strongest evidence concerns the heart and blood vessels. Regular sauna use is linked to a lower risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Here too, a causal link has not been firmly established.
For the brain and lungs, the signals are weaker. Studies suggest a lower risk of dementia and certain lung diseases, but the body of evidence is small.
In people with rheumatism, research suggests that infrared sauna can reduce pain, stiffness, and markers of inflammation as a complement to standard treatment. However, this research is still in its early stages. How long, how often, and how safe it is over the long term remains unclear.
Sauna works best as part of a healthy lifestyle and appears most effective when combined with physical activity. For healthy adults, sauna is safe; dehydration is the best-known risk. If you have a chronic condition, seek medical advice first.
All claims are based on studies that followed people over time and on combined reviews of those studies. No studies where people were randomly put into sauna or no-sauna groups are available when it comes to the question of whether sauna use affects how long people live. So we cannot say for certain that sauna use actually causes people to live longer.
How many sauna sessions per week produce health benefits?
Even 2 to 3 sessions per week is associated with measurable health benefits; those who go 4 or more times appear to benefit even more, though in practice most people do not reach that frequency.
Do you live longer if you eat more salt?
Eating more salt does not lead to a longer life. At the individual level, it demonstrably increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and salt restriction lowers blood pressure and the risk of premature death.
Does taking omega-3 help you stay healthy for longer?
Omega-3 reliably lowers blood fats, but the evidence that it helps you live longer or stay healthier is limited. If you already have heart disease, discuss with your doctor whether omega-3 is a worthwhile addition to your treatment.
Does gratitude or optimism help your health and longevity?
Greater optimism is linked, across several large, long-running studies, to a considerably lower risk of dying from heart and blood vessel disease and a greater chance of ageing healthily. These are associations, not proven cause and effect, but the pattern is strikingly consistent and large enough in magnitude to take seriously.
What does your vascular age tell you about your health?
A high vascular age on the measurement is a serious signal: your risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and premature death is considerably elevated. Discuss it with your doctor, as there are lifestyle and medication options to slow arterial stiffness.
How healthy are my blood vessels / what is my vascular age?
For a first impression of your vascular health, an ApoB blood test is the simplest and most accessible step; a CAC scan adds the most value when your risk remains unclear after blood testing.