What Researchers Did
Researchers investigated how hyperbaric oxygen therapy affected blood sugar markers in people with diabetes.
What They Found
For diabetic patients without vascular complications, hyperbaric oxygen therapy significantly reduced glycosylated hemoglobin, serum glycosylated fructosamine, and blood glucose levels, sometimes to normal ranges. However, patients with existing vascular problems like angiopathy, nephropathy, or retinopathy showed only a slight trend towards reduced levels of these blood markers.
Canadian Relevance
This study investigates diabetes mellitus and its microvascular complications, which are related to diabetic foot ulcers, a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
The abstract does not specify the hyperbaric oxygen therapy protocols used, such as pressure or number of sessions, and is an older study from 1991.