Price et al. 2025, heat thermotherapy & cardiovascular outcomes

A systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 RCTs (databases searched to January 2025) examining passive heat therapy and cardiovascular or cardiometabolic outcomes. Single bouts reduced mean arterial pressure by around 5 mmHg and improved flow-mediated dilation; multiple bouts reduced systolic blood pressure by around 5 mmHg and diastolic by 3 mmHg. Markers such as C-reactive protein, heat shock proteins and arterial stiffness did not change. The RCT evidence therefore shows modest acute blood-pressure effects but does not reproduce the large mortality reductions seen in observational cohort data. Moderate evidence.