What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized 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).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with type 2 diabetes, these findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen therapy may offer a way to improve insulin sensitivity. However, this treatment is not widely available for diabetes management and would require further research and clinical validation before becoming a standard option.
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.