DNA Rejuvenation & Repair
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This is one of the newest areas of HBOT research. The leading theory is the hyperoxic-hypoxic paradox: the repeated rise and fall in oxygen levels over a course of HBOT activates repair pathways, including hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), that influence cell renewal, mitochondrial health and inflammation. These are processes closely tied to how our cells, and the DNA within them, age.
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The aging studies conducted to date have used a course of 60 sessions, typically five days a week over about 12 weeks. The benefits measured in these studies were seen at the end of the course and in follow-up testing afterward. We’ll tailor a plan to your goals, health history and schedule.
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Not exactly, but they are closely related. Shortening telomeres and the build-up of worn-out (senescent) cells are two recognized hallmarks of aging. Early HBOT studies have shown favorable changes in both, along with improvements in physical fitness in older adults. This research is promising and still young, so we see HBOT as one supportive part of a thoughtful, whole-person approach to healthy aging.
Research on HBOT for DNA Repair & Healthy Aging
Interest in HBOT and healthy aging grew after a 2020 study in the journal Aging reported longer telomeres and fewer senescent immune cells after a course of HBOT. Since then, researchers have reported favorable changes in gene expression and, in a 2024 randomized controlled trial, better physical fitness and heart blood flow in older adults. A 2025 systematic review describes this as a promising, still-developing field and calls for larger trials, so we share these findings with both enthusiasm and care.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial
Aging, Nov. 2020
Yafit Hachmo, Amir Hadanny, Ramzia Abu Hamed, Malka Daniel-Kotovsky, Merav Catalogna, Gregory Fishley, Erez Lang, Nir Polak, Keren Doenyas, Mony Friedman, Yonatan Zemel, Yair Becher, and Shai Efrati
In this prospective trial, 35 healthy adults aged 64 and older completed 60 HBOT sessions. Telomere length in several types of immune cells increased by more than 20%, and the number of senescent (worn-out) T helper cells fell by about 37%. Telomeres are the protective caps on our chromosomes that naturally shorten with age, which makes this an exciting early finding, and one that larger studies are now working to confirm.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy induces transcriptome changes in elderly: a prospective trial
Aging, Nov. 2021
Amir Hadanny, Relly Forer, Dina Volodarsky, Malka Daniel-Kotovsky, Merav Catalogna, Yonatan Zemel, Yair Bechor, and Shai Efrati
This study found direct evidence that HBOT can shift gene expression in a favorable direction. Changes in gene expression (the transcriptome) are a recognized marker of aging, and age-related shifts have been linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, and declining mitochondrial and cellular housekeeping. After a course of 60 HBOT sessions, many of these age-associated gene expression changes moved in a more youthful direction in blood samples from older adults.
Physical enhancement of older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial
BMC Geriatrics, July 2024
Amir Hadanny, et al.
In this randomized controlled trial, 63 sedentary adults over the age of 64 received either 60 HBOT sessions over 12 weeks or no treatment. The HBOT group improved their maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), a key marker of fitness and healthy aging, and showed significant increases in blood flow to the heart muscle on cardiac MRI. The findings suggest HBOT may help preserve physical capacity as we age.