Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

The anti-aging case rests mainly on one Israeli research group. In a study with no control group, 35 healthy adults over 64 had 60 daily sessions, and telomeres in some white blood cells grew by more than 20% while senescent T cells fell [1]. Several authors work for or own shares in a company that sells this protocol. A randomized trial from the same group found better attention and processing speed in 63 healthy older adults, but it was small and not blinded [2].

Longer telomeres in blood may not mean slower aging. In divers exposed to intense hyperbaric oxygen, telomeres first lengthened and then shortened, which may reflect new cells entering the blood rather than younger cells [3]. Reviews of HBOT for anti-aging and for older adults call the evidence preliminary, with few studies and mixed methods [4] [5].

Approved medical uses are a different matter. Hyperbaric medicine societies list conditions such as gas embolism, carbon monoxide poisoning and radiation injury [6]. Even for diabetic foot ulcers, a Cochrane review found faster healing at 6 weeks but not at 1 year [7]. No study has shown that HBOT helps healthy people live longer.

• Common side effects are ear and sinus pain from pressure, and a temporary shift toward nearsightedness after many sessions.
• Rare but serious risks include seizures from oxygen toxicity, lung injury from pressure, and fire in the oxygen-rich chamber.
• People with an untreated collapsed lung must not use it. People with lung disease, recent ear surgery, seizures or claustrophobia should ask a doctor first.
• Soft-sided and low-pressure mild chambers sold for home and spa use often do not meet medical safety standards and do not reach the pressures used in studies.
• Medical chambers are cleared for a list of specific conditions. Anti-aging use falls outside that list, and insurers do not pay for it.