Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Effects of drinking Spa Therapy on
oxidative stress
Costantino M (1-2) , Filippelli A (3) , Contaldi E (1) , Schiavone A (1) , Coiro V (2)
(1) Association no profit F.I.R.S.Thermae (Interdisciplinary Training, Researches and SPA
Therapies Sciences), Bacoli (Naples), Italy
(2) Graduate School in Medical Hydrology, Department of Internal Medicine and Biomedical
Sciences, University of Parma, Italy
(3) Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples, Italy
mariacostantino@katamail.com
Objectives
The oxidative stress is produced in cells by oxygen-derived species resulting
from cellular metabolism and from interaction with exogenous compounds. It
results dangerous when an imbalance in antioxidant status arises. This is the case of
chronic inflammation of gastrointestinal tract. For example data of literature have
shown the correlation between oxidative stress and some diseases of gastrointestinal
and metabolic relevance such as diabetes mellitus, gastric cancer, gastritis etc..
Recent data demonstrated the correlation between oxidative stress and vascular
alteration and pancreatic β cells damage in diabetics. The results of the published
clinical, experimental in vitro and in vivo studies, suggests that SPA (Salus Per
Aquam) Therapy or SPA Medicine provide anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory
and recently antioxidative effects. The aim of our research was to evaluate the
effects of a drinking SPA treatment on the oxidative stress conditions in patients
with type 2 diabetes mellitus, a chronic disease with a high social and economic
impact.
Materials and Methods
Thirty-five subjects (74% men and 26% women) (Age range: 46-74 years; Mean
+/- SE: 64+/-1.1 years) affected by type 2 diabetes mellitus under drug therapy
participated in the study. Patients were informed of the purpose of the study and
gave their informed consent. After medical examination, subjects were randomly
divided into 2 groups: group A (21 subjects with Body Mass Index (BMI) 27.9+/-
1.0), who continued hypoglycaemic drug therapy and group B (14 subjects with
BMI 27.5+/-1.0), who continued hypoglycaemic drug therapy in association with a
drinking treatment with sulphureous-bicarbonate-calcic-magnesian mineral water
from Terme of Telese SpA (Benevento-Italy) for 14 days. After 2 weeks of treatment,
the following parameters were measured: fasting blood glycaemia (mg/dL),
capillary blood was taken and immediately tested with Glucocard G+meter; oxidative
stress indices: 1. d-ROMs test (Diacron International srl-Grosseto, Italy). These
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 208-209
208
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4