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Does hyperbaric oxygen therapy reverse ageing?

What you hear: “Sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber reverse aging by lengthening your telomeres.”

What the studies found

The claim traces mainly to a 2020 study of 35 healthy adults aged 64 and over who had 60 daily chamber sessions; afterwards, telomeres in several types of white blood cell were over 20% longer and some markers of worn-out immune cells fell. There was no comparison group, so the changes can't be firmly credited to the chamber, and telomere length in blood cells is a lab marker, not proof of slower aging or longer life. We found no controlled trial showing hyperbaric oxygen slows aging or extends life. The FDA has cleared hyperbaric oxygen for several specific medical conditions and has warned about clinics promoting it for uses it has not cleared.

Take care: Pressurised oxygen can injure the middle ear and, less often, cause a collapsed lung or seizures, and oxygen-rich chambers raise the risk of fire.

What you could do

Save hyperbaric oxygen for conditions a doctor treats with it; for healthy aging, proven habits like exercise and good sleep are a better use of time and money.

Get your longevity score and see which everyday habits make the biggest difference for you.

Not medical advice. General information from published studies, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Talk with your doctor before starting a supplement or changing a medicine, especially if you are pregnant, take other medicines or have a health condition.

How we judged it

Not proven: Not enough good human evidence yet, either way. We judge the claim as it is usually said online, not the habit itself. Trials assign people at random, so they can show cause; observed studies follow people and show a link, not proof. Last checked: October 2026.

The studies, in their own words

1. Hachmo et al. Aging (Albany NY) 2020

   Thirty-five healthy independently living adults, aged 64 and older, were enrolled to receive 60 daily HBOT exposures.

2. Hachmo et al. Aging (Albany NY) 2020

   Telomeres length of T helper, T cytotoxic, natural killer and B cells increased significantly by over 20% following HBOT.

3. US FDA consumer bulletin 2021

   has cleared the use of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) for the treatment of several conditions.

4. US FDA consumer bulletin 2021

   promoting hyperbaric oxygen chambers for uses that have not been cleared or approved by the FDA

5. Mayo Clinic: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy

   Oxygen-rich environments increase the risk of fires.

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