Effect of thermal therapy using hot water bottles on brain natriuretic peptide in chronic hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Introduction: The use of repeated thermal therapy for improving the symptoms of chronic heart failure (CHF) has been recently demon strated. Usually, thermal therapy requires an infrared dry sauna. However, it is difficult for small clinics to acquire such an expensive and extensive system. The author assessed the efficacy of its substitution with hot water bottles. Moreover, there are no prior studies demonstrating the efficacy of thermal therapy in hemodialysis pa tients with chronic heart failure. Methods: The author evaluated plasma brain natriuretic pep tide (BNP) levels in 98 hemodialysis patients in a clinic. A total of nine patients whose BNP levels were more than 500 pg/mL agreed to be enrolled in this study and received thermal therapy using hot water bottles. Results: Plasma BNP levels, a potential marker for CHF, tended to decrease (891 ± 448 pg/mL to 680 ± 339 pg/mL), but the difference was not significant ( P = 0.0845). The oral temperature changed from 36.44 ℃ ± 0.45 ℃ to 37.04 ℃ ± 0.48 ℃ (+0.597 ℃ , P < 0.0001). No side effects were experienced during the therapy. Moreover, most patients had an improvement in their symptoms and the ability to perform activities of daily living. Conclusion: Thermal therapy using hot water bottles is very safe and tends to reduce plasma BNP levels in hemodialysis patients with CHF.