According to a study by Pennington Biomedical, for people with type 2 diabetes, 14 nights of altitude exposure (or hypoxia), roughly 7,900 feet above sea level, improves glucose tolerance.
Nightly exposure to hypoxia could become a novel new treatment for people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Hypoxia exposure, like exercise, improves insulin sensitivity. That means a person needs less insulin to lower his or her blood sugar levels.
In a new study, eight adults slept for 14 nights in tents that lower oxygen levels. The study shows hypoxia improved the way their bodies use insulin.
The results build upon a previous Pennington Biomedical study, which demonstrated that only 10 nights of moderate hypoxia significantly improved insulin sensitivity in people with obesity but no diabetes.
The researchers hope to develop a larger trial to assess whether moderate hypoxia can be developed into a safe, home treatment.