Table 6.
Repeat sauna therapy and detoxification.
| Study characteristics | Study sample | Intervention | Comparators | Health effects | Adverse side effects | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author & year | Level of evidence | Design | Pop/country | N | Sauna type | Duration | Comparators/ controls |
Outcome measures | Positive/negative/ negligible |
None/mild/ moderate/ severe |
| 2009- Hüppe et al. [68] |
I | RCT | Symptomatic patients with elevated serum levels of lipophilic toxicants (PCBs, DDT, DDE)/ Germany |
36 | Two types: Sauna I (65°C, 70% RH) and Sauna II (50°C, 30% RH) |
4 weeks | 3 groups: (I) - Steam sauna + physiotherapy + oral and intravenous detox supplements (II) - Dry sauna + physiotherapy + placebo oral and placebo intravenous supplements (III) - No sauna or oral/IV treatment |
Psychologist (blinded)-assessed and self-assessed scoring using validated tools: somatic symptom complaint list scoring, Beschwerden-Liste 24-item questionnaire; general depression scoring using ADS-L/CES-D 20-item questionnaire; SF-36 quality of life questionnaire; neuropsychological processing speed with GT-MT/ZVT scoring; concentration with “attention test d2”; memory power and speed with WL-N and WL-G scoring; serum levels of PCB congeners × 3, HCB, DDT, DDE. |
Positive, improvements in several somatic well-being scores in both treatment groups (I) & (II), as compared to group (III) with Duncan post hoc test suggesting differences between Group (I) and Group (III) (p < 0.01) and between Group (I) and (II) (p < 0.05) but no difference between Group (II) and (III) (p = 0.21); No significant changes in neuropsychological testing scores between the groups (p > 0.10); No significant changes in serum concentrations of selected organochlorides between the groups (p > 0.10). | None |
|
| ||||||||||
| 2012- Ross and Sternquist [69] |
III | Retrospective chart review and follow-up surveys | Symptomatic police officers with employment-related drug and toxicant exposures/ U.S.A. |
69 | Sauna with full-spectrum infrared (160°F) |
4−6 weeks | No control group | RAND© SF-36 (36-item quality of health survey); FASE 50-item survey of symptoms and sleep; 13-item neurotoxicity questionnaire; MMSE; and review of daily medical records during therapy. |
Positive, improved post treatment SF-36 scores compared to pre-treatment scores (with 2-tailed student t-test paired scores + Wilcoxon matched pairs test and sign test, p < 0.001), across all subscales; Comparing pre and post completion of program: fewer “poor physical health” days (9.3 vs 1.8 days, p < 0.001); fewer “sick days” (2.0 vs 0.3 days, p < 0.001); more sleep hours (5.8 vs 7.6 h, p < 0.001); lessened neurotoxicity scoring (65.5 ± 24.8 vs 14/6 ± 11/5 points, p < 0.001); no changes in MMSE (29.3 vs 29.1 points, p = 0.122). |
Mild, heat discomfort |
FASE = Foundation for Advancements in Science and Education; MMSE = Mini-Mental State Examination; ADS-L/CES-D = Allgemeine Depressions Skala/Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale; GT-MT/ZVT = German Trail-Making Test/Zahlenverbindungstest; WL-N = Wortliste Niveau memory power test; WL-G = Wortliste Geschwindigkeit memory speed test; PCB = polychlorinated biphenyls; HCB = hexachlorobenzene; DDT = Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane; DDE = p-dichlorodiphenylethylene.