What Researchers Did
Researchers combined animal model data with preliminary urinary metabolomics data from diabetic foot ulcer patients undergoing 6 weeks of HBOT to explore whether HBOT might also protect kidney function in diabetic patients.
What They Found
Both preclinical and human metabolomics data suggested HBOT reduced biomarkers of kidney injury, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in patients being treated for diabetic foot ulcers. The preliminary human data were from a prospective clinical trial.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Diabetic kidney disease is Canada leading cause of kidney failure. This study raises the intriguing possibility that HBOT, already given to diabetic patients for foot ulcers, may simultaneously protect their kidneys. Canadian nephrology researchers should investigate HBOT as a potential add-on strategy for diabetic kidney disease.
Canadian Relevance
Diabetic foot ulcers are an OHIP-covered indication for HBOT in Ontario.
Study Limitations
The human metabolomics data are preliminary and from a small patient sample; these findings are hypothesis-generating and require confirmation in randomized trials measuring actual kidney function endpoints.