Safety and Efficacy of Carboxytherapy in Obese Patients

Abstract

Obesity is a highly prevalent disease worldwide, associated with substantial economic and social costs. Besides the traditional treatment approach with low-calorie diet and regular physical exercise, some adjunct therapies have been investigated to assist body fat loss in obese patients. Carboxytherapy is an invasive intervention already studied for a range of conditions, from wound healing to the treatment of abdominal adiposity, due to its oxidative effect on adipocytes, in addition to contributing to improved skin elasticity. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of carboxytherapy in reducing abdominal circumference in patients hospitalized for obesity treatment. Fifty-eight adult inpatients with obesity underwent an individualized treatment (low-calorie diet and daily physical exercise for 40 - 90 days) associated with a mean of 11 sessions of carboxytherapy in the abdominal region and were assessed for body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference (AC), waist to hip ratio (WHR) and percent body fat (%BF). After the intervention, significant reductions were observed in all studied variables (p < 0.001). The adherence rate was 53.67%, and absences were mainly related to the discomfort caused by the sessions. However, no important side effects were registered. Carboxytherapy was a safe intervention for obese patients, and when employed in combination with an inpatient program involving a low-calorie diet and regular exercise, contributed to the reduction of abdominal adiposity.