Int J Biometeorol DOI 10.

1007/s00484-009-0276-6

ORIGINAL PAPER

The effect of balneotherapy on C-reactive protein, serum cholesterol, triglyceride, total antioxidant status and HSP-60 levels
Mihly Olh & gnes Koncz & Judit Fehr & Judit Klmnczhey & Csaba Olh & Sndor Balogh & Gyrgy Nagy & Tams Bender

Received: 15 July 2009 / Revised: 19 October 2009 / Accepted: 20 October 2009 # ISB 2009

Abstract An increasing body of evidence substantiating the effectiveness of balneotherapy has accumulated during recent decades. In the present study, 42 ambulatory patients (23 males and 19 females, mean age 59.5 years) with degenerative musculoskeletal disease were randomised into one of two groupsbathing in tap water or in mineral water at the same temperatureand subjected to 30-min balneotherapy sessions on 15 occasions. Study parameters comprised serum levels of sensitised C-reactive protein (CRP), plasma lipids, heat shock protein (HSP-60) and total
M. Olh : J. Fehr : J. Klmnczhey Hungarospa Hajdszoboszl, Hajdszoboszl, Hungary C. Olh Department of Neurosurgery, BAZ County Hospital, Miskolc, Hungary G. Nagy : T. Bender Polyclinic, Hospital of the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God, Budapest, Hungary S. Balogh National Institute of Primary Health Care, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary . Koncz Heim Pl Paediatric Hospital, Budapest, Hungary T. Bender (*) Budai Irgalmasrendi Krhz, rpd fejedelem u. 7, 1023 Budapest, Hungary e-mail: bender@mail.datanet.hu e-mail: bender.tamas@irgalmas.hu

antioxidant status (TAS). In both groups, CRP levels followed a decreasing tendency, which still persisted 3 months later. At 3 months after balneotherapy, serum cholesterol levels were still decreasing in patients who had used medicinal water, but exhibited a trend towards an increase in the control group. Triglyceride levels followed a decreasing trend in both patient groups. TAS showed a declining tendency in both groups. No changes of HSP-60 levels were observed in either group. Balneotherapy with the thermal water from Hajdszoboszl spa had a more pronounced physiological effect compared to that seen in the control group treated with tap water in a 3 month period. Keywords Balneotherapy . Atherosclerosis . C-reactive protein

Introduction Balneotherapy is a field of curative medicine that utilises the beneficial effects of mineral waters (Bender et al. 2005). In addition to the physical properties of water, the mode of action of this treatment probably involves the absorption of mineral solutes through the skin. In a number of European countries (as well as in Japan and Israel, for example), balneotherapy has long been a specialty of regular medicine. In the United States it has become known as spa therapyalthough this term refers to a more complex treatment modality, which often uses additional, natural healing factors and many elements of physiotherapy along with mineral water (Sukenik et al. 1999). The body of evidence substantiating the effectiveness of balneotherapy has been increasing progressively during recent decades (Nasermoadelli and Kagamimori 2006). Notwithstanding