BAHIOLOGY
biz@bahiology.com02-898-2116한국어KOEnglishEN
Evidence by topic

How has hyperbaric oxygen been studied in diabetes and metabolism?

52 papers: 40 human studies, 7 reviews and 5 animal or cell studies from 2024 onward.

All 929 returned Europe PMC MED and PMC title and abstract records were checked. Human studies have no lower publication year limit through 29 October 2026; animal and cell studies are limited to 2024 onward. The scope covers direct glucose, insulin, lipid and obesity measurements and human glucose monitoring. Studies measuring wounds alone or mentioning diabetes only as a comorbidity were excluded. Lower pressure and oxygen concentrations and combined interventions are identified individually. Reviews are grouped separately, with each group sorted by first publication date, newest first. This is an abstract screened inventory, not a systematic review guaranteeing all relevant literature.

Checked 2026-10-29 · 929 records searched

Randomized human studies7

  1. 96 people with type 2 diabetes and sudden hearing loss were randomized to existing medication alone, 46 participants, or additional hyperbaric oxygen, 50 participants; glucose, lipids and hearing were measured. Pressure and session count are not stated in the abstract.

    Ear Nose Throat J · 2024 · PMID 38747325

    DOI 10.1177/01455613241254433Record and abstract

  2. 190 people with diabetes and depression after stroke were randomized in groups of 95 to escitalopram 10 mg daily with or without hyperbaric oxygen five days weekly for eight weeks; fasting glucose, inflammatory, neurological and depression measures were recorded.

    World J Psychiatry · 2023 · PMID 37303936

    DOI 10.5498/wjp.v13.i5.226Record and abstractFree full text

  3. 12 men with type 2 diabetes entered a blinded randomized crossover trial of 100% versus 21% oxygen at 240 kPa for two hours; assessments included a glucose clamp, liver and muscle magnetic resonance spectroscopy and tissue respirometry.

    Diabetologia · 2022 · PMID 36178534

    DOI 10.1007/s00125-022-05797-0Record and abstractFree full text

  4. 24 overweight or obese men with type 2 diabetes were randomized to hyperbaric oxygen, 13 participants, or hyperbaric air, 11 participants. Both groups underwent 90 minutes at 203 kPa followed by 30 minutes of decompression; a glucose clamp assessed insulin sensitivity.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2020 · PMID 33325020

    DOI 10.28920/dhm50.4.386-390Record and abstractFree full text

  5. 23 people with type 2 diabetes were randomized to intrapancreatic autologous stem cells plus ten hyperbaric oxygen sessions before and ten after infusion, 13 participants, or existing care, ten participants. Glucose, C peptide, HbA1c and insulin requirements were assessed quarterly for one year.

    Cell Transplant · 2019 · PMID 31665912

    DOI 10.1177/0963689719883813Record and abstractFree full text

  6. 38 people with diabetic foot were randomized to existing care, 18 participants, or additional hyperbaric oxygen, 20 participants. Sessions lasted 120 minutes at 2.5 ATA, five days weekly for four weeks; HbA1c, wounds, inflammation and quality of life were measured.

    J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs · 2017 · PMID 28968346

    DOI 10.1097/won.0000000000000374Record and abstract

  7. 80 people completed a single center open randomized trial in type 2 diabetes. Four groups compared autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells, hyperbaric oxygen, both interventions and existing care; C peptide responses and metabolic measures were assessed over 12 months.

    Cytotherapy · 2013 · PMID 24290656

    DOI 10.1016/j.jcyt.2013.10.004Record and abstract

Nonrandomized controlled human studies6

  1. A retrospective study of 117 people with type 2 diabetes and severe refractory sudden hearing loss compared 60 receiving additional hyperbaric oxygen with 57 receiving postauricular and intratympanic steroids alone; glycemic measurements were secondary outcomes.

    Am J Otolaryngol · 2026 · PMID 42048881

    DOI 10.1016/j.amjoto.2026.104838Record and abstract

  2. Older people with diabetic nephropathy were compared in hyperbaric oxygen plus alprostadil and control groups; fasting and two hour glucose, HbA1c and renal, vascular and immune markers were measured. Participant count and allocation method are not stated in the abstract.

    Pak J Pharm Sci · 2021 · PMID 34602388

    Record and abstract

  3. 30 people with Wagner grade 3 or 4 diabetic foot were compared in existing care and ten additional hyperbaric oxygen session groups, 15 each; HbA1c, leukocytes and creatinine were measured before debridement and at completion.

    ScientificWorldJournal · 2018 · PMID 30158840

    DOI 10.1155/2018/6425857Record and abstractFree full text

  4. 52 people with type 2 diabetes and intracerebral hemorrhage were compared in hyperbaric oxygen and control groups; a clamp, insulin, glucose and HbA1c were assessed at baseline and days 10 and 30. Random allocation is not described in the abstract.

    Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat · 2017 · PMID 28228657

    DOI 10.2147/ndt.s126288Record and abstractFree full text

  5. A prospective matched controlled study of 58 people with type 2 diabetes compared 31 receiving hyperbaric oxygen at 2.5 ATA for 15 days with 27 without exposure; measurements included lipoprotein electrophoresis, insulin resistance, C peptide and glycemic variability.

    Undersea Hyperb Med · 2015 · PMID 26591979

    Record and abstract

  6. 39 participants with diabetes, stroke or traumatic brain injury and healthy participants entered an open controlled crossover study comparing 90 minutes of hyperbaric oxygen at 203 kPa with normobaric air up to two weeks apart; glucose was measured before, during and after exposure.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2013 · PMID 24510327

    Record and abstract

Human observational and single group studies26

  1. Records of 103 men with diabetic foot who received hyperbaric oxygen from 2016 to 2020 were reviewed retrospectively; biochemical measurements including glucose and blood cell indices were compared before and after exposure.

    Medicine (Baltimore) · 2024 · PMID 38518039

    DOI 10.1097/md.0000000000037493Record and abstractFree full text

  2. Directors of 13 accredited Australian and New Zealand hyperbaric units were surveyed in 2022; glucose monitoring procedures and hypoglycemia thresholds were described for the 12 units that accepted people with diabetes.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2023 · PMID 37718297

    DOI 10.28920/dhm53.3.230-236Record and abstractFree full text

  3. 31 people after COVID-19 received 15 hyperbaric oxygen sessions in a multiplace chamber; glucose, lactate, blood gases and respiratory, physical and psychological assessments were recorded before and after exposure.

    J Clin Med · 2022 · PMID 36615108

    DOI 10.3390/jcm12010308Record and abstractFree full text

  4. A study of ten people with diabetes compared serum, capillary and continuous glucose measurements at baseline and at 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes during hyperbaric oxygen exposure.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2021 · PMID 34547774

    DOI 10.28920/dhm51.3.240-247Record and abstractFree full text

  5. Two studies each enrolled nine overweight or obese men without diabetes. One used a glucose clamp during the first exposure to hyperbaric oxygen at 203 kPa; the other used intravenous glucose tolerance testing during the third exposure and 24 hours later.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2020 · PMID 32957125

    DOI 10.28920/dhm50.3.238-243Record and abstractFree full text

  6. Ten staff members without diabetes, aged 35 to 55, underwent 95 minutes of hyperbaric oxygen at 243 kPa; capillary glucose meter and venous laboratory measurements were compared at baseline and at 25 and 55 minutes.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2020 · PMID 32557416

    DOI 10.28920/dhm50.2.144-151Record and abstractFree full text

  7. 26 volunteers without diabetes underwent comparison of Dexcom G6 with glucose oxidase and dehydrogenase meters. Measurements were taken before, during and after three 30 minute hyperbaric oxygen periods separated by two five minute hyperbaric air periods.

    Diabetes Technol Ther · 2020 · PMID 31916854

    DOI 10.1089/dia.2019.0390Record and abstractFree full text

  8. A retrospective analysis examined 1,825 hyperbaric oxygen sessions in 77 people with diabetes, comparing glucose before and after exposure and documenting a protocol that provided glucose supplementation when the initial value was below 120 mg/dL.

    Undersea Hyperb Med · 2019 · PMID 31509900

    DOI 10.22462/06.08.2019.6Record and abstract

  9. 24 adults with type 1 diabetes and peripheral vascular complications received ten one hour sessions of 100% oxygen at 2.4 ATA; plasma fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography, alongside lipids, insulin and IGFBP1.

    Can J Diabetes · 2019 · PMID 31311728

    DOI 10.1016/j.jcjd.2019.04.018Record and abstract

  10. 19 people with type 1 diabetes and peripheral arterial disease received ten one hour exposures to 100% oxygen at 2.4 ATA; plasma free fatty acids, CRP, nitrite, arginase and lymphocyte signaling were measured.

    Int J Endocrinol · 2019 · PMID 30755771

    DOI 10.1155/2019/2328505Record and abstractFree full text
Show all · 26 papersShow less

  1. A preliminary prospective cohort study examined urinary metabolites before and after six weeks of hyperbaric oxygen in people with diabetic foot. Participant count is not stated in the abstract.

    Cell Stress Chaperones · 2018 · PMID 30374882

    DOI 10.1007/s12192-018-0944-8Record and abstractFree full text

  2. A retrospective review examined 1,175 hyperbaric oxygen sessions in 100 people with diabetes from January to May 2015, recording glucose before and after exposure and hypoglycemic episodes.

    J Wound Ostomy Continence Nurs · 2017 · PMID 29117079

    DOI 10.1097/won.0000000000000377Record and abstract

  3. A prospective quality improvement study observed a nurse led glucose monitoring protocol for people with diabetes receiving hyperbaric oxygen over four months, comparing it with 332 records from before implementation. Participant count is not stated in the abstract.

    Undersea Hyperb Med · 2016 · PMID 28763172

    Record and abstract

  4. A retrospective review covered 3,136 hyperbaric oxygen sessions in people with diabetes over 77 months, recording glucose at or below 70 mg/dL during or immediately after exposure and examining associated variables. Participant count is not stated in the abstract.

    Undersea Hyperb Med · 2015 · PMID 26152103

    Record and abstract

  5. A hyperbaric oxygen study recruited 19 overweight or obese men. Clamp analyses included ten without diabetes and seven with type 2 diabetes, comparing baseline with the third exposure; serum and adipose cytokines were also measured after four sessions.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2015 · PMID 25964036

    Record and abstract

  6. 16 people with type 2 diabetes and 16 without diabetes all underwent 20 hyperbaric oxygen sessions; oral glucose tolerance was compared before the first and after the last exposure.

    Adv Exp Med Biol · 2015 · PMID 26303484

    DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-18440-1_24Record and abstract

  7. Paired venous and capillary glucose measurements were taken before, during and after three or four hyperbaric oxygen sessions in four people with diabetes; agreement was analyzed using the Bland Altman method.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2013 · PMID 24510329

    Record and abstract

  8. Five people with obesity and type 2 diabetes and five without obesity or diabetes received 100% oxygen at 2 ATA for two hours, six times weekly for five weeks; clamp assessments at sessions three and 30 and HbA1c were recorded.

    Diabet Med · 2012 · PMID 22269009

    DOI 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2012.03587.xRecord and abstract

  9. A single group study of 31 people with type 2 diabetes aged 33 to 62 combined intrapancreatic arterial autologous stem cells with hyperbaric oxygen; HbA1c, C peptide, body mass index and medication requirements were followed for a mean of 321 days.

    Chin Med J (Engl) · 2011 · PMID 22340214

    Record and abstract

  10. 28 people with Wagner grade 2 to 4 diabetic foot received 30 hyperbaric oxygen sessions, five weekly, using 100% oxygen at 2.4 ATA for 105 minutes; fasting glucose, HbA1c, insulin resistance and lipids were measured before and after exposure.

    Endokrynol Pol · 2010 · PMID 20602302

    Record and abstract

  11. A prospective phase 1 study of 25 people with type 2 diabetes combined intrapancreatic autologous stem cell infusion with hyperbaric oxygen before and after infusion; body mass index, glucose, C peptide, HbA1c and insulin requirements were recorded quarterly for one year.

    Cell Transplant · 2008 · PMID 19364067

    DOI 10.3727/096368908787648119Record and abstract

  12. 38 people with type 2 diabetes and foot infection received insulin, antibiotics, hyperbaric oxygen and debridement together; neutrophil phagocytosis, CRP and HbA1c were measured at baseline and two weeks.

    J Infect · 2007 · PMID 17675245

    DOI 10.1016/j.jinf.2007.06.003Record and abstract

  13. 41 patients with differing diabetes and hypertension status underwent 15 to 40 hyperbaric oxygen sessions; blood pressure and heart rate were measured before and after each session, with glucose also recorded in participants with diabetes.

    Arch Med Res · 2006 · PMID 17045116

    DOI 10.1016/j.arcmed.2006.05.009Record and abstract

  14. 31 people with type 2 diabetes and 29 healthy participants underwent measurements of serum insulin, IGFs, leptin, IL-8 and nitric oxide before and after the first and third hyperbaric oxygen exposures.

    Clin Biochem · 2006 · PMID 16996047

    DOI 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2006.07.007Record and abstract

  15. Records of 22 people with necrotizing otitis externa described combined surgery, antibiotics, immunoglobulins and hyperbaric oxygen. Insulin requirements were also examined in the diabetic subgroup; its participant count is not stated in the abstract.

    HNO · 2003 · PMID 12682734

    DOI 10.1007/s00106-002-0713-xRecord and abstract

  16. Prospective data from 782 patients and 11,376 hyperbaric oxygen sessions at 240 or 250 kPa recorded adverse events. Glucose was checked regularly in the diabetic subgroup; its participant count is not stated in the abstract.

    Aviat Space Environ Med · 2000 · PMID 10685584

    Record and abstract

Human case reports1

  1. A case report recorded discordance between glucose and HbA1c in one man with diabetes and beta thalassemia. Insulin and wound related hyperbaric oxygen were started together, with five daily glucose measurements. Age and hyperbaric oxygen dose are not stated in the abstract.

    J Clin Pharm Ther · 2019 · PMID 31736110

    DOI 10.1111/jcpt.13073Record and abstractFree full text

Reviews, systematic reviews and meta analyses7

  1. A review of preclinical and clinical hyperbaric oxygen literature on obesity and metabolic disorders from 2012 to 2025, covering insulin, lipids and mitochondrial measurements. The abstract does not state an included paper count.

    Antioxidants (Basel) · 2025 · PMID 41462642

    DOI 10.3390/antiox14121443Record and abstractFree full text

  2. A scoping review of hyperbaric oxygen and insulin resistance selected 17 of 230 retrieved studies, describing insulin, glucose and sensitivity measurements.

    Front Med (Lausanne) · 2025 · PMID 41322229

    DOI 10.3389/fmed.2025.1679615Record and abstractFree full text

  3. A scoping review of five reports on continuous glucose monitors under hyperbaric conditions: four accuracy studies and one device safety study, with 39 participants including 12 with diabetes.

    Diving Hyperb Med · 2025 · PMID 40544144

    DOI 10.28920/dhm55.2.164-172Record and abstractFree full text

  4. A systematic review of 20 randomized trials of nonpharmacological interventions in diabetic foot disease, including hyperbaric oxygen and measurements of glucose, insulin, HbA1c and lipids. The abstract does not state the number of hyperbaric oxygen participants separately.

    Diabetes Res Clin Pract · 2024 · PMID 38403175

    DOI 10.1016/j.diabres.2024.111590Record and abstract

  5. A systematic review of ten publications on hyperbaric oxygen and glucose, HbA1c and insulin sensitivity in diabetes, searched in PubMed, MEDLINE and Embase and registered in PROSPERO.

    Medicina (Kaunas) · 2021 · PMID 34684171

    DOI 10.3390/medicina57101134Record and abstractFree full text

  6. A review of carotid body function and metabolic disease, including human hyperbaric oxygen and glucose measurements and animal neural and metabolic pathway studies. The abstract does not state an included paper count.

    Int J Mol Sci · 2020 · PMID 32756352

    DOI 10.3390/ijms21155545Record and abstractFree full text

  7. A review of mild hyperbaric exposure at 1266 to 1317 hPa and 35% to 40% oxygen, describing metabolic syndrome, diabetes and muscle oxidative measurements, mainly in animals. The abstract does not state an included paper count.

    J Physiol Sci · 2019 · PMID 31062232

    DOI 10.1007/s12576-019-00678-5Record and abstractFree full text

Animal and cell studies from 20245

  1. Male C57BL/6 mice received low or high fat diets for 16 weeks and IL-2/anti IL-2 complex, hyperbaric oxygen or both; glucose and insulin tolerance, weight and adipose immune cells were examined. Animal count is not stated in the abstract.

    J Endocrinol · 2026 · PMID 42560737

    DOI 10.1530/joe-25-0474Record and abstract

  2. Diet induced type 2 diabetes mice and ob/ob mice received hyperbaric oxygen; weight and glucose were measured weekly, with oral glucose tolerance and serum and liver assays at week 12. Animal count is not stated in the abstract.

    J Diabetes Res · 2025 · PMID 41058942

    DOI 10.1155/jdr/3808140Record and abstractFree full text

  3. 18 female dogs with pyometra and sepsis were randomized after ovariohysterectomy to receive or not receive three 45 minute hyperbaric oxygen sessions at 2 ATA; glucose, lactate and other measures were recorded at admission and at 1, 24, 48 and 72 hours.

    Undersea Hyperb Med · 2025 · PMID 41223391

    Record and abstract

  4. Hyperbaric oxygen and exosomes were examined in diabetic wound mice and experiments with human umbilical vein endothelial and adipose cells; measurements included adipose precursor proliferation and white adipose browning pathways. Sample sizes are not stated in the abstract.

    Int Wound J · 2024 · PMID 38597295

    DOI 10.1111/iwj.14867Record and abstractFree full text

  5. 30 Wistar rats in a diabetes and oral candidiasis experiment were divided into five groups comparing nystatin, hyperbaric oxygen and combined conditions for five days. Oxygen exposure comprised three 30 minute periods at 2.4 ATA; fasting glucose, lymphocytes and antibodies were measured.

    Eur J Dent · 2024 · PMID 38555645

    DOI 10.1055/s-0044-1779425Record and abstractFree full text

Excluded 877 of 929 records: 777 Other wound or complication topic, or no direct systemic glucose, insulin or lipid measurements under hyperbaric oxygen; 56 No abstract available to verify population, design and measurements; 10 Retracted publication or retraction notice; 30 Animal or cell research before 2024; 1 Duplicate DOI or PMID of 33729173; 3 Device or test solution experiment without human observations.

View the search query

TITLE_ABS:("hyperbaric oxygen" OR HBOT) AND TITLE_ABS:(diabet* OR "insulin resistance" OR "insulin sensitivity" OR glycem* OR glycaem*) AND (SRC:MED OR SRC:PMC) AND FIRST_PDATE:[* TO 2026-10-29]

Search Europe PMC

Frequently asked questions

Are all diabetic foot papers included?

No. Included studies directly measured glucose, HbA1c, insulin, lipids or related variables alongside hyperbaric oxygen exposure. Papers recording only wounds or amputation, or presenting glucose only as a baseline characteristic, were excluded.

Do all papers use the same oxygen conditions?

No. Pressure, oxygen concentration, exposure duration and session counts differ. Some studies compare hyperbaric air or combine exposure with stem cells or medication. Individual summaries identify these conditions.

Which years and how many papers are included?

There are 40 human papers without a lower year limit and 5 animal or cell papers from 2024 onward. The 7 reviews are shown separately. Paper counts do not represent unique participants.