Blood sugar control can be extremely difficult for diabetics and is the main reason why they are at higher risk factors for both strokes and heart attacks. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been known to help sensitize insulin levels and thereby help to reduce blood sugar levels. In this study, they took 52 diabetic patients who had just recently had a stroke within the past month and divided them into 2 groups — those who had a stroke within 10 days and those who had their stroke within 30 days. They then gave both groups a series of of hyperbaric oxygen treatments and followed (pre and post) their insulin levels, fasting blood sugars, and hemoglobin A1C levels (which shows longer-term blood sugar control). Both of these groups were able to demonstrate significant improvements in blood sugars with the addition of hyperbaric oxygen therapy. <view study> Read Less

Cystatin C is a bio marker that is becoming a hot topic in neurology, particularly in its ability to predict new-onset or deteriorating cardiovascular disease. Researchers found that preconditioning the brain with hyperbaric oxygen therapy produces helps to protect the brain (neuroprotection), while positively improving the levels of Cystatin C during injury. They published these findings in the journal of "Stroke" 2017 <view study> Read Less

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is widely used as an effective off-label use for stroke victims. Research has found that this therapy not only targets oxygenation of the effected area and reduces inflammation, but also has been shown to promote bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) to proliferate and mobilize, which essentially becomes an important part of the neurogenic (nervous system growth) effects that have been demonstrated from hyperbaric procedures. Mobilization of these BMSCs to the damaged areas were more improved in long course hyperbaric treatments, suggesting the duration of therapy is crucial for promoting their neurogenic effects.

It is important to also note that emerging stem cell research has clearly demonstrated that BMSCs secrete brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and the addition of anti-BDNF neutralising antibodies to MSC-conditioned medium attenuated its neuroprotective effect <view study>

This study also looked at the release of BDNF and found that a 3 week course of HBOT was able to produce significantly higher levels of BDNF and GDNF, than shorter 2 day course of HBO. These results indicated that longer and repetitive HBO therapy promoted more neurotrophic factor production, including BDNF and GDNF. <view study> Read Less

Neurogenesis is the growth and development of the nervous system with new neurons. This process has been shown to be significantly enhanced through the application of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy, particularly following trauma to the brain or central nervous system. A recent article titled “Hyperbaric oxygen therapy promotes neurogenesis: where do we stand?” has just been published. In this article, proposed physiological mechanisms of action are looked at, in a way to gain better understanding of oxygen’s role in neurogenesis <view study> Read Less