Current perspectives on the physiological and therapeutic effects of intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy in older adults

Intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy has been proposed as a potential method for influencing aging processes, enhancing quality of life in older adults, and reducing morbidity in this population. Even short-term intermittent hypoxic exposure is a sufficient stimulus for the accumulation of reactive oxygen species, the upregulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), and the subsequent activation of adaptive mechanisms that enhance resistance to hypoxia and oxidative stress. Another well-studied physiological phenomenon induced by intermittent hypoxia is long-term facilitation, which is characterized by reduced motor neuron activity and modulated lung ventilation, primarily manifesting as an increase in tidal volume. Increased serotonergic activity induced by intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy promotes the synthesis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which plays a crucial role in higher neural functions. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor deficiency is associated with the development of various psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as brain aging. intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy has demonstrated beneficial effects on clinical markers of heart failure, lipid and glucose metabolism disorders, inflammatory processes and liver enzymatic activity. Thus, the primary theoretical justification for intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia therapy is to enhance the body’s adaptive capacity and increase resistance to hypoxia, which plays a key role in the course of various pathological conditions.