What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial with 16 healthy male divers to investigate if oral vitamin C and E could attenuate the decline in plasma erythropoietin levels after repeated hyperbaric oxygen dives.
What They Found
In the placebo group (n=8), a moderate decrease in plasma erythropoietin (EPO) was observed from the second day until the end of the study. Conversely, the vitamin group (n=8), receiving 1g ascorbic acid and 600 IU D-α-tocopherol, showed no relevant variations in EPO concentrations compared to baseline.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian individuals undergoing hyperbaric oxygen exposure, such as professional divers, supplementing with vitamins C and E might help maintain stable erythropoietin levels. This could potentially mitigate some physiological stress associated with repeated oxygen dives.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study was limited by its small sample size of 16 healthy male divers and short duration, which may limit generalizability to other populations or longer exposures.