In a 15-year follow-up study people taking a sauna 4-7 times a week were 61 percent less likely to suffer a stroke than those taking a sauna once a week. The findings are based on the population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) study and involved 1628 men and women aged 53 to 74 years living in the eastern part of Finland. Based on their frequency of taking traditional Finnish sauna baths (relative humidity 10-20 percent) the study participants were divided into three groups: those taking a sauna once a week those taking a sauna 2-3 times a week