Hydrogen Water Protects Heart from Damage After Heart Attack in Rats
Anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen-rich saline in a rat model of regional myocardial ischemia and reperfusion
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (rat)
- Authors
- Yufeng Zhang, Qiang Sun, Bin He, Jian Xiao, Zhinong Wang, Xue-Jun Sun
- Journal
- International Journal of Cardiology
- Year
- 2011
- PMID
- 20851484
- Study Type
- Rat
- Participants
- 66
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Duration
- 1 day or less
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 127 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich saline may help reduce heart damage and inflammation caused by temporary blockage and restoration of blood flow in rat hearts.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich saline reduced heart inflammation and improved heart function in rats recovering from blocked blood flow to the heart, decreasing inflammatory markers and cell death by 24 hours after blood flow was restored.
Summary
Researchers gave rats hydrogen-rich saline (salt water containing dissolved hydrogen gas) after temporarily blocking and then restoring blood flow to part of the heart—a condition that normally causes inflammation and damage. Compared to untreated rats, those receiving hydrogen-rich saline showed less heart cell death, better heart function, and lower levels of inflammatory markers (proteins that signal inflammation). The study suggests hydrogen-rich saline may reduce the inflammatory damage that occurs when blood flow is restored to a starved heart.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage animal study showing hydrogen-rich saline may help protect heart tissue from inflammation during heart attack recovery. However, results in rats do not automatically translate to humans, and much more research—including human trials—would be needed before any therapeutic use could be considered. The study does not tell us whether hydrogen water (which contains far less dissolved hydrogen than medical-grade hydrogen saline) would have similar effects.
Abstract (excerpt)
To study the possible anti-inflammatory effect of hydrogen-rich saline (H(2) saline) on rat hearts with regional myocardial ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). Sixty-six rats were equally randomized to three groups: sham-operated group, I/R group (control group) and I/R plus H(2) saline treatment…