Heart disease: Doctor explains how to reduce risk

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Enlightening research presented to the British Medical Journal detailed how regular tub bathing could lower the risk of death from heart disease, but how often does one need to bathe in order to reap the benefits? A “daily hot bath” was seemingly more protective of the heart muscle than taking a bath once or twice weekly. The findings drew on participants from the Japan Public Health Centre based Study Cohort One.

The cohort contained more than 61,000 middle aged adults (aged from 45 to 59 years old).

At the beginning of the study in 1990, participants completed a detailed questionnaire on their bathing habits.

The participants were also asked about lifestyle factors, such as: exercise, diet, alcohol intake, weight, average sleep duration, medical history, and medications.

During the monitoring period, either till death or till December 2009, the final analysis was based on 30,076 people.

In that time, there were 2,907 cases of cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks).

Moreover, there were 53 sudden cardiac deaths and 1,769 people who suffered from a stroke.

After accounting for potentially influential lifestyle factors, the analysis of the data found the following.

Firstly, that a daily hot bath was associated with a 28 percent lower overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

And secondly, that a daily hot bath was associated with a 26 percent lower risk of stroke.

Both of these findings were in comparison to the health results of bathing once or twice a week.

The authors noted: “This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish cause.

“[In addition] changes in bathing frequency weren’t tracked during the monitoring period.”

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) highlighted risk factors for developing heart disease.

These include: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity.

To lower the likelihood of developing heart disease, you will need to maintain a healthy weight, be a non-smoker, and to exercise daily.

The NHS recommends everybody to move around for at least 30 minutes daily, five times per week.

If you already suffer from high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and/or diabetes, it is crucial for your health to manage these conditions effectively.

Speak to your doctor if you would like more support and guidance on how to manage such conditions.

One of the healthiest ways to live is to exercise regularly, eat healthily, and to sleep well.

This will help to extend your longevity by reducing the risk of disease.

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