Targeting Chronic Oxidative Stress: Ozone Therapy as a Key Modulator in Restoring Redox Homeostasis | Chapter 5 | An Overview of Disease and Health Research Vol. 9

 

Chronic degenerative diseases—including cardiovascular disorders, type II diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and neurodegenerative conditions—constitute the leading causes of disability and mortality worldwide. These disorders share common pathogenic mechanisms, notably chronic inflammation and sustained oxidative stress, which are only partially addressed by conventional pharmacological therapies. Restoration of redox homeostasis, therefore, represents a critical unmet therapeutic objective.

 

This review examines integrative strategies aimed at modulating oxidative stress, including lifestyle interventions such as caloric restriction and regular physical exercise, as well as selected bioactive dietary compounds. While these approaches contribute to improved metabolic regulation and may enhance endogenous antioxidant defences, their efficacy is often limited by poor adherence, variable bioavailability, and modest or inconsistent clinical impact.

 

In contrast, particular emphasis is placed on controlled ozone therapy administered as major ozonated autohemotherapy, which uniquely exploits a hormetic mechanism to activate endogenous adaptive responses. When applied within a precisely defined therapeutic window, ozone does not act as a direct pharmacological agent but as a transient oxidative stimulus, generating secondary messenger molecules such as hydrogen peroxide and lipid-derived electrophiles. These signals activate key cytoprotective pathways, most notably the Nrf2-dependent phase II antioxidant and detoxification system, leading to enhanced redox balance, modulation of chronic inflammation, and improved tissue oxygen utilisation.

 

Unlike exogenous antioxidant supplementation, which primarily affects the extracellular compartment, ozone therapy induces an intracellular adaptive response by stimulating the body’s own defence systems. This mechanistic distinction may explain its broader and more sustained effects in chronic diseases characterised by progressive oxidative stress. Clinical observations suggest that, when integrated with standard medical treatments and applied before irreversible tissue damage occurs, ozone therapy may offer meaningful functional and symptomatic benefits.

 

Importantly, the translational relevance of redox-modulation therapies depends on the adoption of standardised clinical procedures, precise dosing protocols, and appropriate regulatory oversight to ensure safety, reproducibility and clinical validity. While emerging clinical evidence suggests that controlled ozone therapy may integrate conventional treatments in selected chronic degenerative conditions, further well-designed clinical trials and harmonised guidelines are required before broader clinical implementation.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Emma Borrelli
Neurosurgical Unit, Public Outpatient Clinic of Ozone Therapy, University Hospital Le Scotte, Siena, Italy.

 

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