Hypoxia as a Therapeutic Tool in Search of Healthy Aging

Age-related physiological changes, chronic diseases and multimorbidity are commonly known as geriatric syndromes, which result in particular health states in older age. Physical activity is widely considered as a powerful tool for both their treatment and prevention. As inactivity is more common in older adults, the benefits of physical exercise in this population are strongest and also have a protective effect. However, very few older adults are meeting the recommended levels of physical activity due to a large number of barriers.

In the research of new physical activity therapies, the therapeutic use of hypoxia has been recently suggested for the elderly population or chronic disease patients. Hypoxic exposure has been considered as a safe and non-invasive strategy for this population. Combined with exercise, hypoxic sessions could have lower stress on the locomotive system for a similar physiological strain as compared with normoxia. Currently, interest in hypoxic conditioning has increased and experts around the globe have contributed in promoting its clinical application in disease prevention and treatment.

As the influence of hypoxia on age-related physiological changes is unclear, and different physiological mechanisms could mediate its effects, this Research Topic aims to focus on the effects of treatments based on hypoxic exposure and/or physical exercise on the different age-affected body systems (muscular, metabolic, cardiovascular, immunological, neurological or others). Compilation of this knowledge could be useful to know the scope of the hypoxic stimulus as a therapeutic tool in the promotion of healthy aging. Although it is anticipated that human models will be used in the first instance, in vitro and in vivo models will be considered, if they can help in understanding the mechanisms that regulate hypoxia adaptations.

This Research Topic is specifically interested in original research, human studies, review, systematic review and meta-analysis articles.

Keywords: Hypoxia, aging, exercise, frail elderly, oxygen homeostasis

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