Study: Regular Tub Bathing Linked to Lower Risk of Death From Cardiovascular Disease

According to a recent study in the Heart journal, regular tub bathing is linked to a lower risk of death from heart disease and stroke. In addition, the higher the “dose,” the better it seems to be for cardiovascular health, with a daily hot bath seemingly more protective than a once or twice weekly one, according to the study.

Researchers used The Japan Public Health Center based Study Cohort 1, a population-based tracking analysis of more than 61,000 middle aged adults, aged 45 to 59 years.

The study began in 1990, in which 43,000 participants completed a detailed questionnaire on their bathing habits and potentially influential factors, such as: lifestyle (exercise, diet, alcohol intake, and weight), average sleep duration, and medical history and current medicines in use.

Each participant was monitored until death or completion of the study at the end of December 2009, with the final analysis based on 30,076 people.

During the monitoring period, 2097 cases of cardiovascular disease, 275 heart attacks, 53 sudden cardiac deaths, and 1769 strokes occurred.

Analysis of the data showed that compared with a once or twice weekly bath or no bath at all, a daily hot bath was associated with a 28% lower overall risk of cardiovascular disease and a 26% lower overall risk of stroke.

Preferred water temperature indicated a 26% lower and 35% lower risk of overall cardiovascular disease for warm and hot water, respectively. However, no significant associations emerged for overall stroke risk and water temperature.

The associations found were not as strong when excluding the participants who developed cardiovascular disease within 5 or 10 years of the start of the study, but still remained statistically significant.

“We found that frequent tub bathing was significantly associated with a lower risk of hypertension, suggesting that a beneficial effect of tub bathing on risk of cardiovascular disease may in part be due to a reduced risk of developing hypertension,” the researchers said in a press release.

Further, previously published research has linked heat exposure and cardiovascular disease prevention due to the effects of heat on the body and are not different to those of exercise. The researchers added that taking a hot bath is not without its risk, particularly if the temperature is too high.

“There can be no doubt about the potential dangers of bathing in hot water, and the occurrence of death from this increase with age, as well as with the temperature of the water,” the researchers said in a press release.

REFERENCE

Regular tub bathing linked to lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease. BMJ. https://www.bmj.com/company/newsroom/regular-tub-bathing-linked-to-lower-risk-of-death-from-cardiovascular-disease/. Published March 24, 2020. Accessed March 27, 2020.