Exposure to a mild hyperbaric oxygen environment elevates blood pressure.
Ai Takemura
PMID 35527838WHAT IT FOUND
A 45-minute session in a mild hyperbaric chamber raised blood pressure in healthy adults.
Heart rate dropped and oxygen saturation rose. The authors suggest this could help low blood pressure, but warn people with high blood pressure should be cautious.
Key findings
01Blood pressure did not change significantly during the exposure, but the ratio of change from before to after the session was higher for the mild hyperbaric trial than for the control trial.
02Heart rate was lower and oxygen saturation was higher during the mild hyperbaric trial compared to the control trial.
03The authors propose that mild hyperbaric oxygen might be used to manage chronic hypotension, but note that individuals with hypertension may need to exercise caution.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study had a very small sample size of only 10 healthy adults. The participants were healthy, so the results may not apply to people with existing cardiovascular conditions or chronic hypotension. The study was short-term (45 minutes per session), so long-term effects and safety are unknown. Blood pressure changes were observed in the 'change ratio' rather than absolute values during the session, which is a secondary analysis.
Declared interests
The work was supported by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume mild hyperbaric oxygen is a proven treatment for low blood pressure. This was a small pilot study in healthy people, and the blood pressure increase was seen in a change ratio analysis rather than as a direct significant difference during the session. People with high blood pressure should be cautious as the intervention raised pressure.