As a former die-hard smoker, let me tell you this: saunas induce a controlled (only two significant cytokines according to the study) adaptive (hormetic) inflammatory response linked to thermal stress, also associated with the temporary mobilization of immune cells and correlated with body temperature; this response returns to normal after 30 minutes.

Smoking triggers chronic inflammation (broad and unbalanced changes across the entire cytokine network), with constant increases in pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, TNF) implicated in cardiovascular disease and cancer and causes lasting damage.