What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomised controlled trial to compare the effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) versus hyperbaric air (HA) on insulin sensitivity in 24 obese or overweight men with type 2 diabetes.
What They Found
Hyperbaric oxygen treatment significantly increased insulin sensitivity, with a mean 26% increase in glucose infusion rate (GIR) at steady state 1 (P = 0.04) and 23% at steady state 2 (P = 0.018). In contrast, there was no significant change in insulin sensitivity observed in the hyperbaric air group, and a significant between-group difference was noted for the change in GIR at steady state 1 (P = 0.036).
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada nor involved Canadian researchers or participants.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its small sample size and focus solely on obese or overweight men, which may limit the generalizability of the findings.