What Researchers Did
Researchers looked back at the medical records of 94 diabetic patients who received hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) over an eight-year period to see how it affected their kidney function.
What They Found
They found no significant change in kidney function, measured by creatinine levels, in 32 patients (1.41 mg/dl before vs. 1.52 mg/dl after HBOT). However, among 23 patients, proteinuria (protein in urine) significantly decreased after HBOT (p=0.002), with the number of patients without proteinuria almost doubling from 30% (7 of 23) before HBOT to 57% (13 of 23) after HBOT.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Patients with diabetes often face kidney complications, and HBOT is used as an additional treatment for conditions like diabetic foot ulcers. This study suggests that HBOT might not harm kidney function and could even help reduce proteinuria in diabetic patients. This offers reassuring information for Canadian patients with diabetes considering HBOT, indicating a potential kidney benefit rather than a risk.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers diabetic foot ulcers, which is a Health Canada-recognized indication for HBOT.
Study Limitations
This was a retrospective study with a small number of patients and relied on less precise methods like urine dipstick analysis for some measurements.