The effect of hyperbaric oxygenation on the treatment of ischemic ulcers on patients with diabetic angiopathy is known, but the effect of HBO t (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) on diabetic claudicates is less known, i.e. to those that havethe second stage of peripheral vascular disease (without ulceration). In this study, we tried to point out the impact of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on the development of collateral arteries, i.e. the process of arteriogenesis, and consequently the symptom of claudication. 30 subjects in total were included in the case-control study. Inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of diabetes mellitus for at least five years, as well as Doppler-verified distal angiopathy. The respondents were randomly divided into two groups. The control group (n = 15) was treated by standard methods only.The respondents in the experimental group received 20 HBOTs each in a single-chamber hyperbaric chamber for 70 minutes at a pressure of 2.0 ATA. In this regard the assumptions of the arteriogenic effect of hyperbaric oxygenation, the eventual development of new arterial collaterals it was monitored by Doppler. after 20 HBO treatments and at the follow-up, 3 months after HBO therapy. It was observed that there was a statistically highly significant difference before treatment, in the number of registered functional small blood vessels of the lower leg and three months later, and after 20 HBO sessions, both on the left and the right leg, within the experimental group. There was observed also a highly statistically significant difference in the number of newly formed blood vessels on experimental patients in comparison with the patients from the control group. Our study shows that HBO therapy has a positive effect on the development of collateral blood vessels of the legs and that it may find application in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus with angiopathy and claudication disorders. Our study shows that HBO therapy has a positive effect on the development of collateral blood vessels of the legs and that it may find application in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus with angiopathy and claudication disorders.

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