Heat Therapy: Planned Heat Exposure as a Nonpharmacological Strategy against Ischemic Heart Events

A BSTRACT It is known that the planned exposure to high temperatures favors organic adaptations to heat and promotes important hypotensive effects. The increasing number of heart disease patients and deaths due to ischemic heart events mobilizes studies aimed at discovering and improving new therapeutic procedures. Considering the high costs of pharmacological therapies, nonpharmacological strategies are a high-value and low-cost alternative. Combined with the known effects of physical exercise, heat therapy (HT) can significantly contribute to cardiovascular stabilization and cardioprotection. The goal of this short review is to consider the application of this nonpharmacological strategy as a protector of the cardiovascular system and cardiac function. The importance of the cardiovascular benefits of planned exposure to heat based on results from animal experiments and its effect on the preservation of cardiac function is highlighted. The findings demonstrated the benefits and highlighted the possibility of expanding the view of HT concerning cardioprotection.