I trained as a Family Doctor so that I would be ready to help patients with any challenge. The old school family doc used to take that skill set out into the community on house calls, sports sidelines, and town hall meetings. At some point the job description was boiled down into a job that started and ended with a 7 minute office visit. That setup is not good for patients, and it's not good for doctors. In this column I hope to start to push the boundary of where the doctor patient interaction takes place - onto the page, into the community, and beyond 7 minutes.
Researchers looked at a cohort of 1,688 middle aged men and women in Finland and analyzed how often they used a sauna and the risk of dying from heart disease. What they found is that people who used a sauna more often were less likely to have a fatal heart attack. The amazing part of the study is that the effects were so significant. Using the sauna 2 or more times per week led to a 75% reduction in fatal heart attacks. That effect is far better than any drug on the market!
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