Direct and Cross Effects of Adaptation to Systemic Hyperthermia: Impact on Quality of Life, Neurohormonal and Psychophysiological Human Status

Overview

Life expectancy and quality of human life are important indicator of the sustainable development of the society. At the same time, the physical, functional, emotional and psychological components of the of the quality of life evaluation are subjected to be evaluated objectively and corrected using modern medical and socio-psychological methods. According to a fair number of experts, the arsenal of means for functional rehabilitation and health promotion is limited, and its expansion is only possible on the basis of the principles of adaptation medicine and their translation from experimental research into specific preventive and health-promoting technologies. The study is aimed at the development in molecular-endocrine, neuro-visceral and psychophysiological complex mechanisms of human long-term adaptation to systemic modern heating device-based hyperthermia for the development of medical technology focused on optimization in physical functioning, neuro-autonomic regulation, psycho-emotional status and stress- resistance as objective characteristics of humans' quality of life in working age. The novelty of the project is the disclosure of key mechanisms of adaptational direct and cross-effects to the prolonged systemic individually dosed hyperthermia underlying the optimization of stress-resistance, psycho-physiological status and exercise tolerance of practically healthy persons and leading to an increase in the subjectively perceived quality of life. The discovery of the mechanisms of hyperthermically induced neuroplasticity (in terms of the dynamics of oxidative stress, heat shock proteins and the brain derived neurotrophic factor) will also have a scientific significance, which in the long term prospectives may play a role in the development of technics for the prevention and rehabilitation of age-associated neuro-degenerative processes and diseases.

Hyperthermic Fitness Treatment (HFT) is proved in many applied and clinical trials to be a helpful tool for enhancing thermal acclimation, physical tolerance and endurance, improving cardiovascular dysfunctions, normalizing metabolic status and body weight in patients with chronic non-infectious diseases and in aged healthy individuals. Clinical effects of hyperthermia acclimation or repeated sauna's sessions were investigated in series of well-designed placebo-controlled studies at different cohorts of Bronchial Asthma (BA), Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity (MS-O) patients, qualified professional sportsmen and healthy volunteers. Effects of sauna bathing and hyperthermic treatments (acclimation to systemic, whole body dosed hyperthermia, which leads to core temperature increase on 2,0-2,5oC) are accurately described in well-controlled medical studies, performed by experienced researchers imposing different protocols (from 1 session lasting 15-20 min, daily 1 week up to 2 sessions per day, 3 weeks). The generalized result of the most trials suggests adaptation to hyperthermia (sauna bathing sessions) is accompanied by a multi-faceted molecular, cellular, organic and systemic, organismic responses - by progressively increased resistance to thermal stressors, increased bronchial conductivity and pulmonary ventilation, sweating; stimulated activation of neuro-humoral and cardiovascular systems, boosted microcirculation and, as a consequence, providing more efficient transport and utilization of O2 by body tissues, resulting in increase of exercise tolerance, physical activity, normalization of appetite, balancing thermogenesis and heat release. Mechanisms underlying the described clinical effects are partially connected with increased production of some neurotransmitters, hormones and peptides, among them - Brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), Somatotropin (Human Growth Hormone - HGH), Heat Shock Proteins family as cell signaling pathways inducers etc. In spite of difference in study design, protocols, and hyperthermic mashines - devices, it is safe to make the conclusion that periodic individually adapted hyperthermic sessions are capable to induce haematological, neuro-humoral, cardiorespiratory and antioxidant adaptation to provide pathogenetic treatment and rehabilitation of patients with chronic non-infectious diseases. Enhanced stress resistance and improved oxygen transfer/utilization are basic mechanisms whereby the organism increases its resistance to any physical and environmental stressors and to variety of pathogenic factors. The described Hyperthermic Fitness Treatment (HFT) method is safe, has no significant complications or adverse side effects and is generally very well tolerated by sportsmen, healthy persons and different clinical patients' groups.