This was a laboratory-based “in vitro” study which showed that hyperbaric exposure was able to suppress HIV-1 replication. “The exposure to hyperbaric oxygen at the pressure of 2.4 ATA and 98% oxygen was able to produce ROS and RNS molecules, which play a role in cellular adaptive responses through increasing the expression of nfĸb, p21 and mRNA of interferon α2 plays a role in inhibition mechanism of HIV-1 replication in cells.” <view study> Read Less

A total of 53 patients (42 with Alzheimers disease and 11 mild cognitive impairment) were treated with a 20 day course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Each hyperbaric session consisted of 3 sequential parts; first, 20 minutes of oxygen breathing, followed by 15 minutes of breathing air, and finally 20 minutes of breathing oxygen under pressure at 1.2 ATA. Results — One course (20 sessions) of hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly improved cognition in both Alzheimer patients and patient with Mild Cognitive impairment, with the latter having more long term benefits (> 1 month). These results are very promising for Alzheimer patients, and suggest that it is possible that multiple courses might be the solution for giving significantly longer benefits to AD patients. More research is still needed <view study> Read Less

Hypoxia, low tissue oxygen levels, “is one of the most powerful inducers of gene expression, metabolic changes, and regenerative processes, including angiogenesis and stimulation of stem cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation”. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy causes a dramatic rise in oxygen levels during the procedure followed by a quick drop back to normal levels. As the oxygen levels drop, a temporary state of hypoxia is perceived, which causes the powerful adaptive responses towards hypoxia that was noted earlier. It takes about 3 hours following hyperbaric therapy for the blood oxygen levels to normalize. This might be why twice daily sessions separated by 4 or more hours may be a better protocol for achieving optimal physiological benefits. In saying that, by controlling the variables of oxygen concentration and pressure, it may be possible to achieve better benefits by fluctuating the oxygen dose through air breaks and adjusting the pressure, respectively, during each hyperbaric session. <view study> Read Less

The results of this study showed a synergistic effect of HBO and PRP (platelet-rich plasma) on knee cartilage regeneration. “The aggregation and activation of growth factors released from platelets whose activation is increased in the hyperbaric environment may explain this synergistic effect. This may result in a better regeneration than the effect of PRP or HBO alone” <view study> Read Less

Declining cognitive abilities is one of the key concerns for those individuals 60 years and older. Though not limited to this age group, this concern is on the rise and efforts are being made to better understand and treat age-related cognitive impairment. One treatment currently showing great promise is hyperbaric oxygen therapy. In this study, 63 healthy adults were evaluated with a 3 month course of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. During this 3 month time period, each subject was given 60 hyperbaric sessions (90 minutes with 5 min air every 20 minutes) at 2.0 ATA. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy “was shown to induce cognitive enhancements in healthy aging adults via mechanisms involving regional changes in CBF. The main improvements include attention, information processing speed and executive functions, which normally decline with aging”. <view study> Read Less