What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed how changing oxygen levels in the body, including hyperbaric oxygen therapy, might affect signs of aging in older adults.
What They Found
This review describes two earlier small studies: one clinical trial gave older adults 60 sessions of hyperbaric oxygen therapy and found longer average telomere length (a marker of cell aging) in several types of immune cells, including B cells, natural killer cells, and helper and cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The same trial also found fewer CD28null senescent (aged) helper and cytotoxic T cells, meaning a reduction in this marker of immune cell aging. A separate report found that hyperbaric oxygen therapy was associated with better attention and information processing speed in older adults, linked to increased blood flow in brain regions where blood flow tends to decline with age. The abstract states that how long these changes last is not yet known.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This is a review discussing results from other small trials rather than new original research, and the abstract notes the durability of the changes is undetermined and further characterization is required.