Question 287 of 433
Should I try hyperbaric oxygen for anti-aging?
The short answer
I would not use it for anti-aging outside research. It is established treatment for specific conditions. For aging, the evidence is thin, the cost is high, and the risks are real.
Hyperbaric oxygen means breathing pure oxygen inside a pressurized chamber. It is established medicine for diving injuries, carbon monoxide poisoning, wounds that will not heal, and radiation injury.
The anti-aging claims rest largely on studies from one Israeli group. In one, 35 healthy older adults had 60 sessions over three months; the telomeres in their blood cells lengthened and markers of senescent cells fell. There was no comparison group, and those are laboratory measures, not health outcomes. A second study reported improved thinking, but participants knew they were being treated, the control group received nothing, and some of the researchers have ties to a commercial hyperbaric clinic.
The risks include ear and sinus injury, temporary changes in vision, rare seizures, and fire. Oxygen does not burn, but an oxygen-enriched environment greatly accelerates combustion and makes fire especially dangerous. In 2025 a child died in a chamber fire at a wellness clinic in Michigan while being treated for conditions the therapy is not approved for. A full course costs tens of thousands of dollars.
“This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship.” From the book’s medical disclaimer. Full disclaimer
LIMITED HUMAN STUDIES — Healthy-aging hyperbaric use: biomarker or cognitive signals; clinical longevity benefit unproven.Evidence grade (draft mapping)BLimited or small human studiesPart 20, Q287 · Part sources
From Longevity Unmasked by Afshine Ash Emrani, MD, FACC. Medical disclaimer. This book is for education. It is not medical advice, and reading it does not make you my patient or create a doctor-patient relationship. Nothing here is meant to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Medicine is personal: a test, drug, supplement, or exercise plan that helps one person can harm another. Do not start, stop, or change any medication or treatment because of something you read in these pages. Talk with a licensed clinician who knows your history first. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911. The author disclaims responsibility for any loss or harm arising from use of the information in this book.