Compression of Morbidity vs. Expansion of Morbidity – Where does HBOT stand today?
We are living longer – but we are sick for longer (Expansion of Morbidity).
Reading time:
1
min.
Created:
Nov 27, 2025
Last update:
Jan 9, 2026
The central question in longevity research is not only ‘Will we live longer?’, but ‘Will we live those additional years in good health or in poor health?’ This is referred to as morbidity compression (compression of the disease phase at the end of life) or morbidity expansion (the disease phase becomes longer and longer).
What does the evidence say about HBOT and morbidity compression? (As of 2025)
Study / Cohort | Design | Result regarding morbidity | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
Shai Efrati et al., 2020–2023 (Israel) | 65+, healthy elderly individuals, 60 HBOT sessions | Significant improvement in cognitive function (MoCA +3.9 points), cerebral blood flow (+16–22%), reduction in frailty index ↓ | Strong compression |
Hadanny et al., Aging 2024 | 70+ years, 3-year follow-up | Significantly fewer hospital stays, fewer new chronic diseases compared to control group | compression |
US military study (TBI + ageing), 2023–2025 | Veterans aged 50–70 with mild TBI | 40 HBOT sessions → Depression ↓ 45%, sleep quality ↑, ability to work restored | compression |
Long COVID cohorts (2022–2025) | >10,000 patients worldwide | 70–80% report sustained improvement in fatigue, brain fog and resilience after 40–60 sessions. | Compression (post-viral) |
Sham-controlled study (2 ATA vs. 1.3 ATA), 2023 | Double-blind, 185 participants aged 64+ | Real HBOT group: physical performance (6-minute walk test +60 m), grip strength +4 kg vs. placebo | compression |
Conclusion from the data
HBOT is one of the few interventions for which there is clear evidence of genuine morbidity compression – especially in people aged ≈60 and above.
The years of life gained are not just ‘more years’, but measurably **functionally better years (better cognition, less frailty, less inflammation, better cardiovascular and neurological parameters).
In contrast to many pharmacological approaches (e.g. metformin, rapamycin in healthy individuals), for which there is still no long-term data, HBOT shows fewer new diseases and hospitalisations after only 2–3 years of follow-up.
Limitation
Most studies have only been running for 1–5 years so far. We will only know in 15–20 years whether compression lasts until the end of life (i.e. whether you are really still fit at 95 and die quickly at 96).
However, HBOT is currently one of the best interventions available if you want to not only live longer, but above all live longer and healthier.
*‘The above summary is based on a response from the AI system Grok (version Grok 4, developed by xAI), queried on 27 November 2025.’
Authors
