In a groundbreaking study, researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Shamir Medical Center in Israel have discovered that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) can reverse the aging process of blood cells in healthy adults. HBO has been used since the 1960s to treat conditions such as diabetic foot syndrome and acute hearing loss caused by oxygen deprivation in cells. During the treatment, patients breathe in medical oxygen through a tube system, increasing the oxygen levels in the liquid components of their blood. The study, published in the journal Aging, found that HBO not only stops the aging process of blood cells but can also reverse it.
The 90-day study involved 35 healthy individuals over the age of 64 who received 60 HBO sessions. The treatment involved increasing the ambient pressure to 2.4 to 3 times the normal pressure. Blood samples were taken before, during, immediately after, and some time after the treatment to examine the effects of the therapy on various immune cells. The researchers found that HBO reversed two processes associated with aging and disease. At the end of the treatment, the participants had up to 37% fewer senescent cells in their blood. Senescent cells are cells that have lost their ability to renew themselves through cell division. Additionally, the participants’ telomeres, which protect the ends of chromosomes, lengthened by up to 38%. Normally, telomeres become smaller as part of the natural aging process, but HBO therapy reversed this effect.
Further studies with more participants are needed to fully understand the potential of HBO therapy in medicine. However, this groundbreaking study provides hope for the development of new treatments for age-related diseases and conditions. The findings also highlight the importance of exploring alternative therapies that can reverse the aging process and improve overall health.
