Friday June 5, 2015 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study conducted by Dr. David Wilkinson at The University of Adelaide in Adelaide, South Australia and colleagues shows that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can increase insulin sensitivity in overweight men with or without type 2 diabetes.

Prior work by the same authors has demonstrated that HBOT can increase peripheral insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. And this current study finds that overweight men without diabetes mellitus can also benefit from this treatment.

The onset of insulin resistance is an important metabolic parameter of type 2 diabetes mellitus.  Patients with insulin resistance can produce insulin but because of the insulin resistance, they need much higher concentrations of insulin to handle blood sugar.

In the study, overweight and obese men, 11 without and eight with type 2 diabetes mellitus were enrolled and insulin sensitivity was measured at baseline and during the third HBOT session.  Some inflammatory cytokines were also measured to see if the change in insulin sensitivity was coupled with the change in the inflammatory cytokines.

The researchers found insulin sensitivity increased by 29% in overweight men without type 2 diabetes mellitus and increased by 57% in those with diabetes mellitus.  The increased insulin sensitivity lasted 30 minutes after HBOT.

The monocyte chemo-attractant protein-1 (MCP-1), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were decreased after HBOT while interleukin-6 (IL-6) was increased in subjects without diabetes mellitus.

The study concludes "Peripheral insulin sensitivity was increased following HBOT in overweight or obese males with and without type 2 diabetes; this increase was maintained for at least 30 minutes post HBOT. Changes in inflammatory cytokines may partly explain this effect."

Wilkinson D, Nolting M, Mahadi MK, Chapman I, Heilbronn L, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases insulin sensitivity in overweight men with and without type 2 diabetes.  Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine [2015, 45(1):30-36]