Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promising for T2DM complications

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may be an effective treatment approach for several complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), such as nephropathy and retinopathy, a recent study has found.

Researchers enrolled 203 T2DM patients who showed evidence of hypertension, nephropathy, and typical peripheral neuropathy. Participants were randomly assigned to receive basic treatment (n=94) or HBOT (n=109). Outcomes included levels of blood and immune biomarkers.

Concentrations of fasting plasma glucose, 2-hour postprandial glucose, and total cholesterol were significantly lower in the HBOT than in the basic treatment group postintervention. The same was true for triglycerides and urine microalbumin levels. Meanwhile, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was significantly higher in the HBOT group after intervention (p<0.05 for all).

Similarly, levels of interleukin (IL) 1β and 17, and of the intercellular adhesion molecule 1, were significantly lowered in the HBOT group, while that for IL-2 was significantly elevated.

Notably, electromyography showed that HBOT led to significant acceleration of both motor nerve and sensory nerve conduction velocities relative to baseline values and to the basic treatment group.

“Human clinical studies on the effects of hyperbaric oxygen on various diabetic complications, including nephropathy, retinopathy, and metabolic parameters, seem to be presently limited worldwide,” the researchers said. “The effects of HBOT on other important organs have not yet been investigated. Therefore, further validation studies are necessary.”