Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise for Heart Disease Prevention
- Authors
- Tyler W. LeBaron, Branislav Kura, Barbora Kalocayova, Narcis Tribulova, Jan Slezak
- Journal
- Molecules
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.3390/molecules24112076
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United States
- Health Condition
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Scientists found that a simple gas called molecular hydrogen can help protect your heart by reducing harmful damage from inflammation and stress at the cellular level—kind of like giving your heart cells an invisible shield. The cool part is that you can get it by breathing it in, drinking special hydrogen water, or getting an injection, and studies show it doesn't seem to have bad side effects.
Key Finding
Molecular hydrogen shows potential as a therapeutic agent for cardiovascular disease by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation through multiple biological pathways, with no reported clinical toxicity.
Summary
This review examines how molecular hydrogen (H2) might help prevent and treat heart disease by reducing oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules called free radicals) and inflammation. Researchers have studied hydrogen delivered through inhalation, hydrogen-rich water, or injections in both animal and human studies, finding that it appears to work by activating the body's natural antioxidant defenses and reducing harmful inflammatory signals. No serious side effects have been reported so far.
Practical Takeaway
While early research suggests hydrogen water and other forms of hydrogen delivery may support heart health by fighting oxidative stress, this is a review of existing studies rather than new experimental evidence. Most studies cited are preclinical (animal-based), and the exact mechanisms remain unclear. More rigorous human clinical trials are needed before hydrogen can be recommended as a cardiovascular treatment.
Abstract
Cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Redox dysregulation and a dyshomeostasis of inflammation arise from, and result in, cellular aberrations and pathological conditions, which lead to cardiovascular diseases. Despite years of intensive research, there is still no safe and effective method for their prevention and treatment. Recently, molecular hydrogen has been investigated in preclinical and clinical studies on various diseases associated with oxidative and inflammatory stress such as radiation-induced heart disease, ischemia-reperfusion injury, myocardial and brain infarction, storage of the heart, heart transplantation, etc. Hydrogen is primarily administered via inhalation, drinking hydrogen-rich water, or injection of hydrogen-rich saline. It favorably modulates signal transduction and gene expression resulting in suppression of proinflammatory cytokines, excess ROS production, and in the activation of the Nrf2 antioxidant transcription factor. Although H2 appears to be an important biological molecule with anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects, the exact mechanisms of action remain elusive. There is no reported clinical toxicity; however, some data suggests that H2 has a mild hormetic-like effect, which likely mediate some of its benefits. The mechanistic data, coupled with the pre-clinical and clinical studies, suggest that H2 may be useful for ROS/inflammation-induced cardiotoxicity and other conditions.