With the growing incidence of strokes and heart attacks, medical disabilities for these, and other age-related conditions, are on the rise. Preconditioning the body and its vital organs may be of critical importance for today's aging and disease-ridden society. This new study looked at preconditioning the brain with hyperbaric oxygen therapy and showed that it reduced postoperative cognitive dysfunction. More specifically, they reported, "Hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning has proved to protect vital organs, such as the heart, liver, and brain. ... We conclude that hyperbaric oxygen preconditioning is an effective and feasible method to prevent, alleviate, and improve postoperative cognitive dysfunction, and that its mechanism of action is very complex, involving the stimulation of endogenous antioxidant and anti-inflammation defense systems." <view study> Read Less

New study shows that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) helps to improve memory and learning, while at the same time reducing brain damage, in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) brains. More importantly, they looked at preconditioning the brain with just 5 session of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to get these beneficial results. With the growing number of individuals being diagnosed with AD, along with the numerous others that are concerned with the aging of their brains and deterioration in their memory, it looks like hyperbaric oxygen therapy may  provide a valuable relief to those suffering from AD, while still giving hope to those looking to prevent its devastating effects. view study Read Less

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a condition that is very common amongst the elderly and one that, for many, negatively affects their quality of life by causing a great deal of debility, and causing a dependency on pain medications (NSAIDS). OA is basically a degenerative condition of the joints whereby inflammatory markers seem to be the most important mediators of this cartilage destruction. Keep in mind that cartilage is able to repair itself through the induction of local growth factors, leading to the production of new collagen. This 'regenerative' repair is counteracted by the continual destruction seen with this disorder, leading to a progressive degenerative state. Since HBOT is considered to be a regenerative therapy, it would make sense that HBOT could help with a degenerative condition like OA. HBOT is already being used by OA sufferers for its anti-inflammatory pain-relieving effects, but now this study gives us insights on its potential long term benefits on reducing the net destruction and degeneration observed in OA. Researches were able to show that HBOT can benefit OA by helping with both factors that are involved in this disease. Firstly, HBOT caused a marked reduction of the key inflammatory markers involved this condition; thereby, reducing further degeneration. Secondly, HBOT caused an increase in the number of growth factors involved in the production of new collagen and cartilage formation, thus helping in the repair and regeneration of this tissue. The clinical relevance of this study is enormous, as it may offer OA sufferers the ability to counteract the degradative forces involved in OA, while still offering its pain-relieving benefits <view study> Read Less

Learning and memory deficits are quite often send following injuries or degenerative disorders of the brain, but now are increasingly becoming a major concern for our aging population. This study focuses on the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for both of these groups of individuals, particularly the ones with 'aging' brains. These beneficial effects were found to be through a combination of positive findings including a reduction in both brain oxidation and inflammation, while also being able to effectively regulate aging-related gene expression. These combined physiological benefits were able to cause a significant reversal in the learning and memory deficits normally observed in aging <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