What Researchers Did
Researchers exposed eight professional divers to hyperbaric air and hyperbaric oxygen at 2.5 atm abs for 60 minutes to measure plasma stress hormones and endothelin-1.
What They Found
Endothelin-1 levels significantly increased, by 6% during hyperbaric oxygen and 18% during hyperbaric air, and by 30% and 34% respectively after treatments (P = 0.032). Cortisol levels significantly decreased during both treatments (P = 0.001), while other stress hormones showed no significant changes, indicating no generalized hormonal stress reaction.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This study suggests that moderate hyperbaric conditions, such as those experienced by professional divers or during hyperbaric oxygen therapy, do not induce a generalized hormonal stress response. However, endothelin-1, a vasoconstrictor, does increase, which could be relevant for monitoring cardiovascular responses in patients undergoing such treatments.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection or specific relevance to Canadian healthcare policies or patient populations.
Study Limitations
The study involved a very small sample size of only eight professional divers, limiting the generalizability of the findings to broader populations.