Intermittent hypoxia training as non-pharmacologic therapy for cardiovascular diseases: Practical analysis on methods and equipment

Abstract

The global industrialization has brought profound lifestyle changes and environmental pollutions leading to higher risks of cardiovascular diseases. Such tremendous challenges outweigh the benefits of major advances in pharmacotherapies (such as statins, antihypertensive, antithrombotic drugs) and exacerbate the public healthcare burdens. One of the promising complementary non-pharmacologic therapies is the so-called intermittent hypoxia training (IHT) via activation of the human body's own natural defense through adaptation to intermittent hypoxia. This review article primarily focuses on the practical questions concerning the utilization of IHT as a non-pharmacologic therapy against cardiovascular diseases in humans. Evidence accumulated in the past five decades of research in healthy men and patients has suggested that short-term daily sessions consisting 3-4 bouts of 5-7 min exposures to 12-10% O2 alternating with normoxic durations for 2-3 weeks can result in remarkable beneficial effects in treatment of cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, and heart failure. Special attentions are paid to the therapeutic effects of different IHT models, along with introduction of a variety of specialized facilities and equipment available for IHT, including hypobaric chambers, hypoxia gas mixture deliver equipment (rooms, tents, face masks), and portable rebreathing devices. Further clinical trials and thorough evaluations of the risks versus benefits of IHT are much needed to develop a series of standardized and practical guidelines for IHT. Taken together, we can envisage a bright future for IHT to play a more significant role in the preventive and complementary medicine against cardiovascular diseases.

Hyperoxia and hypoxia influence to adaptive processes at muscular work

“…Об оздоровительном действии нормобарической гипоксии в клинике и спорте за последние 50 лет написано множество работ. Для ознакомления с проблемой можно обратиться к монографии [1] и обзорам [69,70]. [80], то вероятность кратковременного повышения производительности сердца и/или улучшения супраспинальных команд при гипероксии повышается.…”

Development of hardware and software of the complex for hypoxytherapy

“…Analysis of existing devices and complexes for carrying out hypoxytherapy (Table 1) [7][8][9] showed that the main task of all hypoxicators is the creation of a gas hypoxic mixture and feeding it to the patient. There are two approaches to creating a mixture: the respiratory one and the producer one.…”

“…Among the existing devices for carrying out hypoxytherapy (Table 1 [7][8][9]), hypoxicators «Hypotron» [10], ReOxy [11,12] and CellAir One [13], which are equipped with additional sensors to determine the condition of the patient during the procedure.…”

Intermittent hypoxia training in prediabetes patients: Beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis, hypoxia tolerance and gene expression

“…[1][2][3][4][5] The potential therapeutic uses of IHT in treating cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disorders have been the focal areas of extensive research. 6,7 Despite these advances, the effects of IHT on diabetes mellitus, especially type 2 diabetes, one of the most prevalent pathological conditions in the current world population, are much less investigated. 8 In the mid-1990s, Ukrainian scientists first demonstrated in diabetic animals that IHT could reduce vascular risk factors and increases blood insulin levels via inhibition of the islet destruction These authors recently confirmed that two-week IHT led to an increase in the area of pancreatic islets and the number of b-cells in diabetic rats, mainly due to a significant reduction of b-endocrine cells apoptosis.…”