After asking 61,000 adults between the ages of 45 and 59 to provide details about their bathing habits, exercise, diet, alcohol consumption, weight, sleeping habits, medical history and medications they were taking, researchers tracked them for almost 20 years. The investigators then followed each participant until death or until the end of the study. After accounting for other influential factors, analysis of the data showed that a daily hot bath was linked with a 28 percent lower overall risk of cardiovascular disease and a 26 percent lower overall risk of stroke. Analysis of preferred water temperature indicated a 26 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease with warm water and a 35 percent lower risk linked to taking hot water baths regularly. Water temperature wasn’t associated with overall stroke risk. The researchers reported that the study showed frequent tub bathing was significantly associated with a lower risk of developing high blood pressure, suggesting that its beneficial effect on the risk of cardiovascular disease may be due in part to a reduced risk of developing hypertension. In an editorial linked to the study Andrew Felix Burden, M.D., of Exeter in the UK noted the potential dangers of bathing in hot water and the fact that overheating can lead to confusion and drowning among seniors.

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