ORLANDO, Fla., July 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aviv Clinics, one of the most advanced brain clinics in the world, shares the results of a new study showing a unique hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) protocol is effective for enhancing physical performance in aging adults.
The study, Physical enhancement of older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial, was conducted by Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research at the Shamir Medical Center and Tel Aviv University, and published in the BioMed Central journal Geriatrics.
The study evaluated the effect of HBOT on non-pathological and aging adults’ physical performance and cardiac perfusion, the measure of how blood flows to the heart muscle. In this randomized controlled trial, 63 patients 65 years old and older were randomized to one of the two study arms—the control group and the HBOT treatment group. The HBOT group received 60 daily HBOT sessions using a specific protocol. Participants’ cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) including VO2Max, the maximal oxygen consumption capacity, anaerobic threshold (the exertion level between aerobic and anaerobic performance) and maximal power generation were evaluated. In addition, cardiac perfusion was evaluated through novel cardiac MRI.
Results showed that following the HBOT protocol, participants’ VO2Max, VO2Max per body weight, maximal power and the anaerobic threshold significantly improved. When compared to the control group, the HBOT group also saw notable increases in cardiac blood flow and cardiac blood volume.
“Following our first two studies related to how HBOT can fight cognitive age-related decline and reverse aging at the cellular level, this study related to physical enhancement is further evidence that HBOT is effective in alternating the aging trajectory,” said Dr. Amir Hadanny, Chief Medical Officer and Head of Research at Aviv Scientific and the principle investigator of the study at the Sagol Center. “The correlation between physical performance improvement and cardiac perfusion increase suggests the mechanism of action. We utilized the same HBOT protocol that improved cognitive function, to elevate physical performance. With this, we have the potential to change the trajectory of the normal aging process.”
HBOT is a medical treatment in which 100% oxygen is administered at an increased environmental pressure. Aviv’s unique HBOT protocol, the hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox, fluctuates oxygen levels along the treatment and was proved to repair and regenerate damaged brain tissue in several types of brain injuries including traumatic brain injury, stroke, PTSD, long COVID and age-related cognitive decline, among others. Previous studies from the research team at the Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Research have demonstrated the efficacy of HBOT for cognitive enhancement of older adults and for increasing telomere length and decreasing immunosenescence in isolated blood cells.
Aviv Clinics offers an advanced treatment program with a multidisciplinary team of medical experts providing patients with top-line care and the opportunity to improve their quality of life. The Aviv Medical Program includes an in-depth assessment of the patient’s physical and neurological condition to assess the fit for the program. For patients that meet the criteria, the Aviv team will then prepare a comprehensive treatment schedule combining HBOT with personal cognitive and physical training, and dietary coaching, for a holistic approach to patient health. The HBOT sessions are conducted in state-of-the-art multiplace chambers that are comfortable, safe and allow for medical staff to accompany patients during the treatment. The elevated pressure in the HBOT chamber creates an optimal oxygenation condition, ultimately encouraging damaged brain and body tissues to regenerate and heal.
The full study is available here. For more on Aviv Clinics, visit aviv-clinics.com.
About Aviv Clinics
Aviv Clinics is the leader in the research and treatment of age-related cognitive and functional decline and novel applications of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) to maximize human performance. Based on an exclusive partnership with the world’s largest hyperbaric medicine and research facility, the Sagol Center at Shamir Medical Center in Israel, Aviv is introducing a global network of clinics delivering the most effective evidence-based treatment of the aging related decline—the Aviv Medical Program. The three-month regimen was developed based on over a decade of research and thousands of patients treated worldwide under the scientific leadership of Shai Efrati, M.D., chair of Aviv Scientific’s Medical Advisory Board and director of the Sagol Center.
Media Contact
Hannah Williams
Uproar PR for Aviv Clinics
hwilliams@uproarpr.com
