Can hyperbaric oxygen therapy halt or reverse disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease?

The answer is an unclear maybe, with hope that more clinical studies are conducted to make advances in the treatment of the disease resulting in devastating cognitive decline. The National Institutes of Health defines it as “an irreversible, progressive brain disorder that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. It is the most common cause of dementia in older adults and is ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in the United States.

According to a case report publication in January 2019 by Dr. Paul Harch, clinical professor and director of hyperbaric medicine at LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine, and colleague Dr. Edward Fogarty, chairman of radiology at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine, hyperbaric oxygen therapy showed PET-scan documented improvement in brain metabolism in a five-year Alzheimer’s disease patient.

The research article states “hyperbaric oxygen therapy targets all four of the pathological areas of Alzheimer’s disease by affecting the microcirculation; mitochondrial dysfunction and biogenesis; reducing amyloid burden and tau phosphorylation; controlling oxidative stress; and reducing inflammation, which allows damaged parts of the body devoid or lacking oxygen to heal.

If you would like to discuss this investigative treatment with a member of our team, please call 678-303-3200. Because treatment for Alzheimer’s disease with hyperbaric oxygen therapy is currently considered “off label,” insurances do not cover treatment at this time.