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health treatment and procedure

Clinical trials probe whether heat can treat depression and anxiety

Illustration accompanying article: Clinical trials probe whether heat can treat depression and anxiety
  • Researchers are launching some of the first clinical trials testing whether sauna use and other heat exposure can ease depression and anxiety, NPR reported Oct. 5.
  • Scientists understand how heat exercises the cardiovascular system but know relatively little about its effects on depression, anxiety, and mood, according to NPR's report.
  • A husband-and-wife team at a floating sauna village in Oslo is conducting one of the first trials on sauna use and mental health.
  • Will Stone, who reported the segment for NPR, also spoke with one of the leading U.S. researchers studying heat's potential to help depression.
  • NPR reported that heat appears to act as a powerful antidepressant, with more studies underway to understand the connection.
 2026-10-05 · 4 MIN READ

Mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix detail heat policies in joint column

Illustration accompanying article: Mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix detail heat policies in joint column
  • The mayors of Paris, Milan and Phoenix — Emmanuel Grégoire, Giuseppe Sala and Kate Gallego — published a joint Guardian opinion column detailing their cities' heat adaptation policies and calling for cross-city learning.
  • Phoenix reported a 20% year-over-year decline in heat-related 911 calls during the summer of 2024, the city's hottest on record.
  • Paris operates more than 1,400 "cool spots" within a seven-minute walk of every resident and has mobilized 27,000 climate volunteers, Grégoire wrote.
  • Milan is expanding its Piazze Aperte program to plant trees and create shaded areas, Sala wrote.
  • The three mayors cited more than 14,000 heat-related deaths across Europe this summer and called on national governments to expand adaptation funding.
 2026-09-07 · 4 MIN READ
Illustration accompanying article: Lawsuit says treatment facility missed FBI warnings before mosque shooting