EvidenceDPreliminaryVery uncertain: animal or cell studies, or studies in people with several serious weaknesses.
We don't know yet. In two small trials of healthy older adults, 60 daily sessions improved thinking tests and fitness, but no study measured aging, frailty or lifespan.
Who it's for
No group has a clear benefit; healthy adults over 64 were studied.
What to expect
Small gains in attention and fitness after three months; effects on aging are unknown.
Watch out for
Mild, self-limiting side effects were reported in four of seven studies.
Fitness rose after hyperbaric oxygen in older adults
Bars show the effect size for each fitness and heart blood flow measure in one trial of older adults.
Peak oxygen use per kg0.46
Oxygen use at first threshold0.62
Heart blood flow0.8
Heart blood volume0.9
effect size
Fitness rose after hyperbaric oxygen in older adults
A review of seven studies (502 people aged 51 to 85) found hyperbaric oxygen may improve thinking and give modest physical gains. The authors call the findings preliminary because of few studies, varied protocols and moderate quality. Follow-up lasted only 1 to 12 weeks4Systematic review · 2026 · 502 peopleHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Physical and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.HBOT may improve cognitive performance in both healthy and clinical older adults and may offer modest benefits for physical performance, although physical improvements were sometimes inferred from functional or indirect measures. However, these findings remain preliminary given the limited number of studies, protocol…J Aging Phys Act.
A randomized trial People are assigned by chance to the treatment or a comparison, so a difference in results is likely caused by the treatment itself. of 63 healthy adults over 64 compared three months of daily sessions with no treatment. The treated group improved on a global thinking score, mostly attention and processing speed. Brain blood flow also rose in some regions2Randomized trial · 2020 · 63 peopleCognitive enhancement of healthy older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial.In this study, HBOT was shown to induce cognitive enhancements in healthy aging adults via mechanisms involving regional changes in CBF. The main improvements include attention, information processing speed and executive functions, which normally decline with aging.Aging (Albany NY).
A second randomized trial of 63 healthy, sedentary adults over 64 used 60 sessions of 100% oxygen at twice normal air pressure for 90 minutes. Peak oxygen use rose by about 1.9 ml/kg/min, a small to moderate effect. Heart blood flow also rose more than in the control group3Randomized trial · 2024 · 63 peoplePhysical enhancement of older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial.The findings of the study indicate that HBOT has the potential to improve physical performance in aging adults. The enhancements observed encompass improvements in key factors including VO2Max, and VO2VT1. An important mechanism contributing to these improvements is the heightened cardiac perfusion induced by HBOT.BMC Geriatr.
In 35 healthy adults over 64 with no control group, white blood cell telomeres (protective chromosome caps) lengthened by over 20% after 60 sessions. Some senescent (worn-out) immune cells also fell5Clinical trial · 2020Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial.0004) post-HBOT. In conclusion, the study indicates that HBOT may induce significant senolytic effects including significantly increasing telomere length and clearance of senescent cells in the aging populations.Aging (Albany NY). Blood gene activity changed too, though what that means for health is unclear8Study · 2021Hyperbaric oxygen therapy induces transcriptome changes in elderly: a prospective trial.In conclusion, for the first time in humans, the study provides direct evidence of HBOT is associated with transcriptome changes in whole-blood samples. Our results demonstrate significant changes in gene expression of normal aging population.Aging (Albany NY).
In 13 men who gave skin samples, collagen density and blood vessel counts rose after HBOT compared with a no-treatment period. These changes were not tested against a placebo A dummy treatment that looks like the real one, so people can't tell which they got.6Clinical trial · 2021 · 70 peopleThe effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the pathophysiology of skin aging: a prospective clinical trial.The study indicates, for the first time in humans, that HBOT can significantly modulate the pathophysiology of the skin aging in a healthy aging population. The demonstrated mechanisms include angiogenesis and senescent cell clearance.Aging (Albany NY).
Cell studies suggest mild oxygen stress switches on protective genes10Review · 2010Hyperbaric oxygen treatment induces antioxidant gene expression.This increase coincided with an increased resistance to a lethal oxidative stress. Our data indicate that hyperbaric oxygen can induce protection against oxidative insults in endothelial cells and may provide an easily administered hormetic treatment to help promote healthy aging.Ann N Y Acad Sci. Reviews describe such mechanisms as hopeful but say a standard anti-aging protocol is not defined7Review · 2022Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for healthy aging: From mechanisms to therapeutics.It is high time to look back and summarize the recent advances concerning biological mechanisms and therapeutic implications of HBOT in promoting healthy aging and shed light on prospective directions. Here we provide the first comprehensive overview of HBOT in the field of aging and geriatric research, which allows…Redox Biol.
These trials did not measure aging itself. Most come from one research group. Larger independent trials are missing.
Key studies
Study
Who
What it found
Review of 7 studies, 20264Systematic review · 2026 · 502 peopleHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Physical and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.HBOT may improve cognitive performance in both healthy and clinical older adults and may offer modest benefits for physical performance, although physical improvements were sometimes inferred from functional or indirect measures. However, these findings remain preliminary given the limited number of studies, protocol…J Aging Phys Act
502 adults aged 51 to 85
Possible thinking gains; evidence called preliminary
Trial, 20202Randomized trial · 2020 · 63 peopleCognitive enhancement of healthy older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial.In this study, HBOT was shown to induce cognitive enhancements in healthy aging adults via mechanisms involving regional changes in CBF. The main improvements include attention, information processing speed and executive functions, which normally decline with aging.Aging (Albany NY)
63 healthy adults over 64
Better attention and processing speed after 3 months
Trial, 20243Randomized trial · 2024 · 63 peoplePhysical enhancement of older adults using hyperbaric oxygen: a randomized controlled trial.The findings of the study indicate that HBOT has the potential to improve physical performance in aging adults. The enhancements observed encompass improvements in key factors including VO2Max, and VO2VT1. An important mechanism contributing to these improvements is the heightened cardiac perfusion induced by HBOT.BMC Geriatr
63 sedentary adults over 64
Fitness and heart blood flow rose versus controls
Study without a control group, 20205Clinical trial · 2020Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases telomere length and decreases immunosenescence in isolated blood cells: a prospective trial.0004) post-HBOT. In conclusion, the study indicates that HBOT may induce significant senolytic effects including significantly increasing telomere length and clearance of senescent cells in the aging populations.Aging (Albany NY)
35 healthy adults over 64
Telomeres longer; fewer senescent immune cells
Before-after study, 20216Clinical trial · 2021 · 70 peopleThe effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on the pathophysiology of skin aging: a prospective clinical trial.The study indicates, for the first time in humans, that HBOT can significantly modulate the pathophysiology of the skin aging in a healthy aging population. The demonstrated mechanisms include angiogenesis and senescent cell clearance.Aging (Albany NY)
13 men, average age 68
More collagen and blood vessels in skin
Safety
Four of seven studies reported side effects, which were generally mild and self-limiting4Systematic review · 2026 · 502 peopleHyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Physical and Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.HBOT may improve cognitive performance in both healthy and clinical older adults and may offer modest benefits for physical performance, although physical improvements were sometimes inferred from functional or indirect measures. However, these findings remain preliminary given the limited number of studies, protocol…J Aging Phys Act. Reviews note that excess oxygen has long been thought to speed aging, so protocols must stay under the toxicity threshold7Review · 2022Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for healthy aging: From mechanisms to therapeutics.It is high time to look back and summarize the recent advances concerning biological mechanisms and therapeutic implications of HBOT in promoting healthy aging and shed light on prospective directions. Here we provide the first comprehensive overview of HBOT in the field of aging and geriatric research, which allows…Redox Biol.
What we don't know
Whether any of these changes translate into longer life, less frailty or fewer age-related diseases.
Whether gains last beyond about 12 weeks, and whether independent, larger trials with sham sessions would confirm them.
Written by AI from the studies listed, without review by a clinician, and graded with the GRADE method. It can be wrong, so check the studies it cites. Education, not medical advice.