Nagai Masayo, Tanaka Akiko
School of Nursing and Rehabilitation Sciences, Showa Medical University, 1865 Tokaichibacho, Midiri-Ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8555, Japan.
Central Research Facility, AINO UNIVERSITY, 4-5-4 Higashi-Ota, Ibaraki, Osaka, 567-0012, Japan.
BMC Res Notes. 2025 Apr 14;18(1):166. doi: 10.1186/s13104-025-07236-w.
Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) progresses silently, highlighting the importance of early prevention. This pilot study aimed to examine the relationship between thermal habits-specifically hot-tub bathing-and biomarkers of chronic inflammation, as well as arterial stiffness in young adults.
Twenty-five participants were included: 9 males (mean age: 21.78 ± 2.05 years) and 16 females (mean age: 21.0 ± 0.97 years). We assessed hot bathing habits and measured plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). IL-6 levels were significantly lower among habitual hot-tub bathers (p = 0.04 overall; p = 0.018 in females). In females, hsCRP tended to be lower with immersion bathing (p = 0.08). No significant differences were observed in hsCRP, HSP70, or baPWV in the overall, male, or female groups. In females, IL-6 negatively correlated with ABI (ρ = -0.543, p = 0.03), and baPWV negatively correlated with bathing duration (ρ = -0.562, p = 0.045). These findings suggest that habitual hot-tub bathing, a culturally embedded and easily implemented habit in Japan, may serve as a lifestyle intervention to reduce inflammation and support ASCVD prevention in young adults.
动脉粥样硬化性心血管疾病（ASCVD）悄然进展，凸显了早期预防的重要性。这项初步研究旨在探讨热习惯——特别是泡热水澡——与慢性炎症生物标志物以及年轻成年人动脉僵硬度之间的关系。
纳入了25名参与者：9名男性（平均年龄：21.78±2.05岁）和16名女性（平均年龄：21.0±0.97岁）。我们评估了泡热水澡的习惯，并测量了血浆白细胞介素-6（IL-6）、高敏C反应蛋白（hsCRP）、热休克蛋白70（HSP70）和臂踝脉搏波速度（baPWV）。习惯泡热水澡者的IL-6水平显著较低（总体p = 0.04；女性p = 0.018）。在女性中，浸浴时hsCRP往往较低（p = 0.08）。在总体、男性或女性组中，hsCRP、HSP70或baPWV均未观察到显著差异。在女性中，IL-6与踝臂指数（ABI）呈负相关（ρ = -0.543，p = 0.03），baPWV与洗澡时间呈负相关（ρ = -0.562，p = 0.045）。这些发现表明，在日本，泡热水澡是一种文化中根深蒂固且易于实施的习惯，可能作为一种生活方式干预措施，以减轻炎症并支持年轻成年人预防ASCVD。
