Ozone therapy for treating foot ulcers in people with diabetes
Liu J, Zhang P, Tian J, et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015.
- Study type
- Systematic review / meta-analysis
- People studied
- 212 people, pooled from the included trials
- Population
- People with diabetic foot ulcers, pooled from 3 randomized controlled trials
- Published
- 2015, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
- Identifiers
- PMID 26505864, DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD008474.pub2
What the authors reported
This Cochrane review pooled 3 small randomized trials (212 participants): one found greater ulcer-area reduction and shorter hospitalization with ozone versus antibiotics, but pooled analysis of the other two found no significant difference from usual care in ulcer healing, adverse events, or amputation rate.
What limits this result
Only three included trials, all judged at high or unclear risk of bias; the review authors conclude they are unable to draw any firm conclusions about effectiveness.
Other ozone methods, such as major autohemotherapy, that clinics cite in support of EBO2. A result for one method does not transfer automatically to another. One study rarely settles a medical question; our guides weigh each paper against the rest of the evidence.
Where we cite this study
Does EBO2 (EBOO) Work? An Honest Read of the Evidence
Does EBO2 (EBOO) work? Every published EBOO study, what ozone therapy generally shows, and why clinic testimonials are not the same as evidence.
The History of EBO2 (EBOO): From Bocci's Lab to Today's Wellness Clinics
How EBO2 (EBOO) developed from 19th-century ozone chemistry through Bocci's lab in Siena to today's US wellness clinics, with dates as documented in sources.
What Is EBO2 (EBOO) Therapy? Procedure, Evidence, Cost, and Safety
A neutral, sourced explainer of EBO2 (also called EBOO): how the procedure works, what the research shows, typical cost, and the FDA's position.