Repetitive hyperbaric oxygen treatment increases insulin sensitivity in diabetes patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage.

Aim: The role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in the treatment of acute ischemic stroke is controversial. This study aims to investigate whether the peripheral insulin sensitivity of type 2 diabetes patients suffering from intracerebral hemorrhage can be increased after HBOT.
Methods: Fifty-two type 2 diabetes participants were recruited after being diagnosed with intracerebral hemorrhage in our hospital. Insulin sensitivity was measured by the glucose infusion rate during a hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp (80 mU m ^-2 min ^-1 ) at baseline and 10 and 30 days after HBOT sessions. Serum insulin, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1 _C were measured in fasting serum at baseline and after HBOT sessions. In addition, early (∼10 days after onset) and late (1 month after onset) outcomes (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, NIHSS scores) and efficacy (changes of NIHSS scores) of HBOT were evaluated.
Results: In response to HBOT, the glucose infusion rate was increased by 37.8%±5.76% at 1 month after onset compared with baseline. Reduced serum insulin, fasting glucose, and hemoglobin A1 _C were observed after HBOT. Both early and late outcomes of the HBOT group were improved compared with baseline ( P <0.001). In the control group, there was significant difference only in the late outcome ( P <0.05). In the assessment of efficacy, there were statistically significant differences between the groups when comparing changes in NIHSS scores at 10 days and 1 month after onset ( P <0.05).
Conclusion: Peripheral insulin sensitivity was increased following HBOT in type 2 diabetes patients with intracerebral hemorrhage. The HBOT used in this study may be effective for diabetes patients with acute stroke and is a safe and harmless adjunctive treatment.
Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.