Efficacy and safety of thermal vasodilation therapy by sauna in infants with severe congestive heart failure secondary to ventricular septal defect.
March 11, 2025
This study, led by Yoko Sugahara and her team, explored the use of far-infrared sauna therapy to treat infants with severe heart failure caused by a condition called ventricular septal defect (VSD), where there’s a hole in the heart. For infants with VSD, the heart has to work harder to pump blood, which can lead to serious symptoms of heart failure. Traditional treatments, like certain medications, can sometimes make things worse, especially if they reduce blood pressure too much. The researchers wanted to see if using a far-infrared sauna, which heats the body to improve blood flow, could help these infants without the risks of medications.
The study found that sauna therapy was safe and helpful for infants with heart failure from VSD. The heat from the sauna helped improve blood circulation and made the heart work more efficiently. This therapy seemed to be a good alternative to medication because it didn’t have the harmful side effects. Overall, the study suggests that far-infrared sauna therapy can be a useful and safe treatment to help improve heart function in infants with certain heart problems. This research was conducted by a group of pediatric cardiologists looking for new ways to treat heart failure in babies.
