HYPERBARIC-OXYGEN, OXYGEN-OZONE THERAPY, AND RHEOLOGIC PARAMETERS OF BLOOD IN PATIENTS WITH PERIPHERAL OCCLUSIVE ARTERIAL-DISEASE

For many years, clinical practice has consolidated the use of both hyp erbaric oxygen and oxygen-ozone therapy in the treatment of peripheral occlusive arterial disease (POAD). We investigated the influence of t hese treatments on hemorrheologic parameters that play an important ro le in the pathogenesis and the clinical course of arteriosclerosis. Tw o groups of 15 patients suffering from POAD, assigned at random either to a cycle of HBO therapy or O-2-O-3 therapy, were evaluated for bloo d viscosity, erythrocyte filterability, hematocrit value, fibrinogen c oncentration, and thrombin time. The O-2-O-3 therapy caused a signific ant increase of erythtrocyte filterability and a significant decrease of blood viscosity. By contrast, HBO therapy did not produce any signi ficant change. The increase of lipid peri-oxidation, proved by raised malonyldialdehyde plasma levels, seems a likely mechanism involved in the hemorrheologic effects of O-2-O-3 therapy.