Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves peripheral insulin sensitivity in humans

• Published in: Diabetic medicine 2012-08, Vol.29 (8), p.986-989
• Main Authors: Wilkinson, D., Chapman, I. M., Heilbronn, L. K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: adipose tissue hypoxia; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - therapy; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; hyperbaric oxygen; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; insulin resistance; Insulin Resistance - physiology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; obesity; Obesity - complications; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vertebrates: endocrinology
• ISSN: 0742-3071; 1464-5491
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2012.03587.x

Diabet. Med. 29, 986–989 (2012) Aim  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is known to reduce fasting blood glucose in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. However, the mechanisms of this effect are not clear. The aim of this study was to determine whether peripheral insulin sensitivity by hyperinsulinaemic euglycaemic clamp is increased in patients presenting for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Methods  Participants were non‐obese individuals without Type 2 diabetes (n = 5) or obese patients with Type 2 diabetes (n = 5). Patients were given 100% oxygen at 2.0 absolute atmospheres for 2 h, six sessions per week for 5 weeks. Results  Peripheral insulin sensitivity was increased in the whole cohort (P = 0.04). Subsequent analysis revealed that this was significant at both treatment 3 (+37.3 ± 12.7%, P = 0.02) and treatment 30 (+40.6 ± 12.6%, P = 0.009). HbA1c was significantly reduced in subjects without diabetes only (P