Waon Therapy Research Articles

Improvement of Autonomic Nervous Activity by Waon Therapy in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: Result of Case-control Study

Improvement of Autonomic Nervous Activity by Waon Therapy in Patients With Chronic Heart Failure: Result of Case-control Study

P-70 Waon Therapy Improves the Prognosis of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

P-70 Waon Therapy Improves the Prognosis of Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

P-69 Effect of Waon Therapy on Oxidative Stress in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

P-69 Effect of Waon Therapy on Oxidative Stress in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure

Waon therapy improves the prognosis of patients with chronic heart failure

We developed a Waon therapy (soothing warm therapy) and have previously reported that repeated Waon therapy improves hemodynamics, peripheral vascular function, arrhythmias, and clinical symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Waon therapy on the prognosis of CHF patients. We studied 129 patients with CHF in NYHA functional class III or IV who were admitted to our hospital between January 1999 and March 2001. In the Waon therapy group, 64 patients were treated with a far infrared-ray dry sauna at 60 degrees C for 15 min and then kept on bed rest with a blanket for 30 min. The patients were treated daily for 5 days during admission, and then at least twice a week after discharge. In the control group, 65 patients, matched for age, gender, and NYHA functional class, were treated with traditional CHF therapy. The follow-up time was scheduled for 5 years. Recent, complete follow-up data on each patient were obtained. The overall survival rate was 84.5% (Kaplan-Meier estimate). Twelve patients died in the control group and 8 patients died in the Waon therapy group at 60 months of follow-up. Cardiac events due to heart failure or cardiac death occurred in 68.7% of the control group but only 31.3% of the Waon therapy group (P<0.01) at 60 months of follow-up. Waon therapy reduced cardiac events in patients with CHF. This therapy is a promising non-pharmacological treatment for CHF.

Waon Therapy Improves Vascular Endothelial Function by the Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) Expression

Waon Therapy Improves Vascular Endothelial Function by the Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase (eNOS) Expression

Waon therapy in patients with chronic heart failure

We developed a form of thermal therapy, namely “Waon therapy” (soothing warm therapy), that differs from the traditional sauna. We have previously reported that repeated use of a dry sauna at 60 °C improves hemodynamics, and ameliorates symptoms in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). We had already performed “Waon therapy” for several hundred patients with CHF and confirmed that “Waon therapy” decreased the death or re-hospitalization in comparison to non-waon therapy patients. Furthermore, we reported that two-weeks of “Waon therapy” decrease the premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) while increasing the heart rate variability in patients with CHF. We demonstrated that the molecular mechanisms by which repeated “Waon therapy” improves vascular flow and endothelial function is through increased endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression. Pharmacological, thermal and exercise therapy are the three main pillars for the comprehensive therapy of CHF. In contrast to exercise therapy, we can successfully perform “Waon therapy” in patients who either can not exercise, have severe heart failure, or demonstrate uncontrolled PVCs. In conclusion, “Waon therapy” is a novel, safe, cost effective and promising therapy even for patients with severe CHF.

Beneficial effects of Waon therapy on patients with chronic heart failure: Results of a prospective multicenter study

We conducted a prospective multicenter case-control study to confirm the clinical efficacy and safety of Waon therapy on chronic heart failure (CHF). Patients (n=188) with CHF were treated with standard therapy for at least 1 week, and then were randomized to Waon therapy (n=112) or a control group (n=76). All patients continued conventional treatment for an additional 2 weeks. The Waon therapy group was treated daily with a far infrared-ray dry sauna at 60 degrees C for 15 min and then kept on bed rest with a blanket for 30 min for 2 weeks. Chest radiography, echocardiography, and plasma levels of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were measured before and 2 weeks after treatment. NYHA functional class significantly decreased after 2 weeks of treatment in both groups. Chest radiography also showed a significant decrease of the cardiothoracic ratio in both groups (Waon therapy: 57.2+/-8.0% to 55.2+/-8.0%, p<0.0001; control: 57.0+/-7.7% to 56.0+/-7.1%, p<0.05). Echocardiography demonstrated that left ventricular diastolic dimension (LVDd), left atrial dimension (LAD), and ejection fraction (EF) significantly improved in the Waon therapy group (LVDd: 60.6+/-7.6 to 59.1+/-8.4 mm, p<0.0001; LAD: 45.4+/-9.3 mm to 44.1+/-9.4 mm, p<0.05; EF: 31.6+/-10.4% to 34.6+/-10.6%, p<0.0001), but not in the control group (LVDd: 58.4+/-10.3 mm to 57.9+/-10.4 mm; LAD: 46.3+/-9.7 mm to 46.2+/-10.1 mm; EF: 36.6+/-14.1% to 37.3+/-14.0%). The plasma concentration of BNP significantly decreased with Waon therapy, but not in the control group (Waon: 542+/-508 pg/ml to 394+/-410 pg/ml, p<0.001; control: 440+/-377 pg/ml to 358+/-382 pg/ml). Waon therapy is safe, improves clinical symptoms and cardiac function, and decreases cardiac size in CHF patients. Waon therapy is an innovative and promising therapy for patients with CHF.

Repeated Waon therapy improves pulmonary hypertension during exercise in patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Repeated Waon therapy, which uses a far infrared-ray dry sauna system, improved the vascular endothelial function and the cardiac function in patients with chronic heart failure. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with a poor prognosis. We investigated whether repeated Waon therapy improves PH, cardiac function, exercise tolerance, and the quality of life (QOL) in patients with COPD. Consecutive 13 patients with COPD, who met the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease criteria and had breathlessness despite receiving conventional treatments, were recruited for this study. They underwent Waon therapy at 60 degrees C in sauna for 15 min following 30 min warmth with blankets outside of the sauna room. This therapy was performed once a day, for 4 weeks. Cardiac function, exercise tolerance, and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) were assessed before and 4 weeks after Waon therapy. Right ventricular positive dP/dt at rest elevated significantly from 397 +/- 266 to 512 +/- 320 mmHg/s (p = 0.024) after the therapy. While the PH at rest did not significantly decrease, the PH during exercise decreased significantly from 64 +/- 18 to 51 +/- 13 mmHg (p = 0.028) after Waon therapy. Furthermore, the therapy prolonged the mean exercise time of the constant load of cycle ergometer exercise test from 360 +/- 107 to 392 +/- 97 s (p = 0.032). The total scores of SGRQ improved from 59.7 +/- 16.9 to 55.3 +/- 17.2 (p = 0.002). In addition, no adverse effects were observed related to Waon therapy. Repeated Waon therapy improved right ventricular positive dP/dt, PH during exercise, exercise tolerance and the QOL in patients with severe COPD.

Waon therapy for chronic heart failure: a novel innovative therapy

We developed a form of Waon therapy [1] in which the entire body is warmed in an evenly heated chamber for 15 minutes at 60oC that soothes the mind and body, and after the deep-body temperature has increased by 1.0−1.2oC, the soothing warm effects are sustained by maintaining the warmth at rest for an additional 30 minutes. Regarding the acute effects of Waon therapy, we demonstrated that it improved acute hemodynamics in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF), including cardiac index, mean pulmonary wedge pressure, systemic and pulmonary resistance, and cardiac function. We had already performed Waon therapy for several hundred patients with CHF due to dilated or ischemic cardiomyopathy and confirmed that this therapy decreased the death or re-hospitalization in comparison to non-Waon therapy patients. We conducted a prospective multi-center study to confirm the effect of Waon therapy on CHF at 10 participating hospitals. Two weeks of Waon therapy improved NYHA classification, and significantly decreased the cardiac size on both the chest X-ray and echo findings. Echocardiography demonstrated a significant improvement in cardiac function, and serum levels of brain natriuretic peptides and noradrenalin decreased after two weeks of Waon therapy. In order to clarify the mechanism of the effect of Waon therapy, we analyzed the vascular endothelial function and reported that two-week Waon therapy significantly improved endothelial function in patients with CHF. Furthermore, we performed experimental studies using TO-2 cardiomyopathic hamsters, and noticed that repeated Waon therapy increased mRNA and protein of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in TO-2 hamsters. This therapy also improved survival in TO-2 cardiomyopathic hamsters without any pharmacological treatments. In conclusion, Waon therapy is a novel, safe, cost-effective and innovative therapy for patients with CHF.

Efficacy of Waon Therapy for Fibromyalgia

Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread pain with tenderness in specific areas. We examined the applicability of Waon therapy (soothing warmth therapy) as a new method of pain treatment in patients with FMS. Thirteen female FMS patients (mean age, 45.2+/-15.5 years old; range, 25-75) who fulfilled the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology participated in this study. Patients received Waon therapy once per day for 2 or 5 days/week. The patients were placed in the supine or sitting position in a far infrared-ray dry sauna maintained at an even temperature of 60 degrees C for 15 minutes, and then transferred to a room maintained at 26-27 degrees C where they were covered with a blanket from the neck down to keep them warm for 30 minutes. Reductions in subjective pain and symptoms were determined using the pain visual analog scale (VAS) and fibromyalgia impact questionnaire (FIQ). All patients experienced a significant reduction in pain by about half after the first session of Waon therapy (11-70%), and the effect of Waon therapy became stable (20-78%) after 10 treatments. Pain VAS and FIQ symptom scores were significantly (p<0.01) decreased after Waon therapy and remained low throughout the observation period. Waon therapy is effective for the treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome.

Waon therapy in severe heart failure patients with continuous catecholamine infusion: a report of two cases

今回, われわれは, 従来の保存的治療では改善が困難な重症慢性心不全に対し, 和温療法の併用により退院可能となった2症例を経験した. 和温療法は, 深部体温を1.0-1.2℃上昇させることで血管内皮機能を改善し, 慢性心不全の病態を改善させた. この和温療法は, 従来の治療と併用可能であり, 重症心不全に積極的に行う価値があると考えられた.