After 60 HBOT sessions, protective DNA caps lengthened in selected immune cells.
In healthy adults aged 64 and above, average B-cell telomere length increased by about 29% at session 60. Telomeres are protective caps at the ends of chromosomes, which carry our DNA. [1]
Like the tips that protect shoelaces, telomeres help protect chromosome ends as cells divide. Their shortening is one feature researchers study in cellular ageing. A measurable change makes HBOT worth exploring within that research.
| No. | Article | Year |
|---|---|---|
| [1] | Hachmo et al., Aging | 2020 |
Researchers followed blood-cell changes across a 60-session course.
Hachmo et al. enrolled 35 healthy, independently living adults aged 64 and older. Thirty completed the course; usable samples allowed telomere analysis in 25 people and senescent T-cell analysis in 20. Senescent cells have stopped dividing. [1]
Participants completed 60 HBOT sessions over about three months, five days a week. Each used 100% oxygen at 2 ATA for 90 minutes, with a five-minute air break every 20 minutes. Diet, exercise, and medication changes were restricted during the trial.
Blood was sampled before treatment, at sessions 30 and 60, and one to two weeks after the course. The study compared each person with their own starting point, without a separate control group.
Two cellular-ageing markers changed in the same study.
B-cell telomeres showed the largest average increase: about 29% at session 60 and 38% at follow-up. Telomere length also increased in other measured immune-cell types. These percentages describe average relative changes from baseline. [1]
At follow-up, the proportion of senescent T-helper cells was about 37% lower on average, relative to baseline. These cells belong to the immune system; the result concerns their proportion in the blood samples.
Longer telomeres and a lower proportion of senescent cells connect the findings to two features of cellular ageing. This small, uncontrolled trial measured selected blood cells; lifespan and everyday function were not its outcomes.
After 60 HBOT sessions, protective DNA caps were longer and senescent immune cells were fewer.
The study found changes in both protective DNA caps and senescent immune-cell proportions. These measurable findings give HBOT a concrete place in cellular-ageing research.
An HBOT cocoon® is a wellness system. Explore the available formats, or read the Focus & energy guide for a separate trial measuring attention and processing speed in healthy older adults.
A linked DOI opens the original paper on the publisher site.
- Y. Hachmo et al., "Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: A prospective trial," Aging, vol. 12, no. 22, pp. 22445-22456, 2020, doi: 10.18632/aging.202188
