What Researchers Did
Researchers evaluated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on myocardial diastolic function in 30 diabetic patients using echocardiography before and after 10 HBO sessions.
What They Found
HBO therapy significantly improved left ventricular myocardial relaxation, evidenced by a reduction in E wave deceleration time from 286.1 msec to 214.3 msec (p < 0.05). It also favorably impacted right ventricular diastolic filling dynamics, with E wave peak velocity changing from 0.48 m/sec to 0.46 m/sec (p < 0.05).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian diabetic patients, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, often used for non-healing ulcers, may offer an additional benefit by improving heart relaxation. This suggests that HBO therapy could potentially help manage myocardial diastolic dysfunction in this population.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's relatively small sample size of 30 patients limits the generalizability of the findings.