Heat Therapy and Cardiometabolic Health in Obese Women

Traditional medical treatments are often based on research done exclusively in males, and
recent research efforts in the physiology community have highlighted critical sex differences
in disease presentation and progression. For example, the relative risk of fatal heart
disease is 50% greater in obese, diabetic women as compared to their male counterparts, and
women appear to respond differently to lifestyle interventions such as exercise compared with
men. Chronic passive heat exposure (hot tub use) provides alternative or supplemental
therapeutic potential for improving cardiovascular and metabolic health in obese women. In
addition, passive heat exposure may offer specific cellular protection from stresses like a
lack of blood flow (ischemia), which is the primary cause of fatal coronary heart disease.
This study is investigating the possible cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits of
chronic passive heat exposure, and whether regular hot tub use (3-4 days per week for 8-10
weeks) may reduce obese womens' cardiometabolic risk. The investigators are examining
cardiovascular health through blood pressure, blood vessel stiffness, sympathetic ('fight or
flight') activity, and responsiveness to stresses like increased or decreased blood flow. The
investigators are also examining metabolic health through an oral glucose tolerance test and
a subcutaneous fat biopsy. The goal of this research is to develop a therapy targeted toward
the specific health needs and complications of obese women, in an effort to improve
cardiovascular and metabolic health and provide therapeutic alternatives in this high-risk
population.