Hydrogen Therapy Helps 85-Year-Old Woman with Severe Arthritis

TL;DR

In an elderly RA patient with methotrexate intolerance and severe cervical spine disease, molecular hydrogen therapy improved fatigue and showed immunomodulatory effects, suggesting potential as an adjuvant.

Key Finding

An elderly patient with treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis showed improvements in fatigue and changes in immune cell populations after receiving molecular hydrogen as an adjuvant therapy, though this is a single case with limited follow-up.

Summary

This case report describes an 85-year-old woman with severe, long-standing rheumatoid arthritis (an autoimmune disease attacking joints) who could not tolerate standard medications. She received molecular hydrogen therapy (hydrogen gas with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) as an additional treatment starting in June 2023. Her fatigue improved, and her immune cells showed changes suggesting the hydrogen may have affected her immune system, though she ultimately declined surgery for a serious spine condition and chose palliative care.

Practical Takeaway

While this case suggests molecular hydrogen may have immunomodulatory effects in rheumatoid arthritis, it represents only one patient's experience and cannot establish whether hydrogen therapy is effective. Much larger controlled studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn about its role in treating rheumatoid arthritis.

Abstract (excerpt)

Background/aim: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting synovial joints, often causing to joint destruction and systemic comorbidities. Cervical spine involvement, especially atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS), can lead to spinal cord compression and neurological deficits…

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