What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial with 12 men with type 2 diabetes to investigate the glucometabolic effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What They Found
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy decreased fasting blood glucose by 19% and increased whole-body, hepatic, and white adipose tissue insulin sensitivity by approximately one-third. It also doubled hepatic γ-ATP concentrations and doubled mitochondrial respiratory control in skeletal muscle, tripling it in white adipose tissue.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy shows promise in improving insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism in individuals with type 2 diabetes. If further research confirms these benefits, it could offer a novel non-pharmacological treatment option for Canadian patients with this condition.
Canadian Relevance
This study was conducted in Germany and has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A key limitation of this study is its very small sample size of only 12 male participants.