Hydrogen Therapy Helps Control Blood Sugar in Type 2 Diabetes Patients
- Authors
- Ziyi Zhao, Hongxiang Ji, Yunsheng Zhao, Zeyu Liu, Ruitao Sun, Yuquan Li, Tongshang Ni
- Journal
- Frontiers in Endocrinology
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.3389/fendo.2022.1114221
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas as an extra treatment helps improve blood sugar control and reduces side effects in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.
Key Finding
Patients who used hydrogen inhalation therapy alongside standard diabetes treatment showed significantly greater improvements in blood sugar control (HbA1c dropped 0.94% versus 0.46%) and experienced fewer adverse events like hypoglycemia and vomiting compared to those on medication alone.
Summary
This study looked at whether breathing hydrogen gas, in addition to standard diabetes medications, could help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar better. Researchers compared 1,088 Chinese patients who used hydrogen inhalation therapy with those who didn't over 6 months. The hydrogen group showed greater improvements in blood sugar control, cholesterol levels, and insulin resistance, and experienced fewer side effects like low blood sugar episodes and nausea.
Practical Takeaway
This real-world study suggests hydrogen inhalation may support better blood sugar management in type 2 diabetes when combined with conventional treatment, though it's important to note this was an observational study (not a controlled experiment) conducted in a Chinese population. More rigorous clinical trials would be needed to confirm these findings and determine whether benefits apply to other populations. Hydrogen inhalation should only be considered as a complement to, not replacement for, standard diabetes care prescribed by a healthcare provider.
Abstract
Aim: To analyze the effectiveness and safety of hydrogen inhalation (HI) therapy as an adjunct treatment in Chinese type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in a real-life clinical setting. Methods: This observational, non-interventional, retrospective, double-arm, 6-month clinical study included T2DM patients receiving conventional anti-diabetes medication with or without HI initiation from 2018 to 2021. Patients were assigned to the HI group or non-HI group (control group) after 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM). The mean change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) after 6 months in different groups was evaluated primarily. The secondary outcome was composed of the mean change of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), weight, lipid profile, and homeostasis model assessment. Logistics regression was performed to evaluate the likelihood of reaching different HbA1c levels after 6-month treatment between the groups. Adverse event (AE) was also evaluated in patients of both groups. Results: In total, 1088 patients were selected into the analysis. Compared to the control group, subjects in HI group maintained greater improvement in the level of HbA1c (-0.94% vs -0.46%), FPG (-22.7 mg/dL vs -11.7 mg/dL), total cholesterol (-12.9 mg/dL vs -4.4 mg/dL), HOMA-IR (-0.76 vs -0.17) and HOMA-β (8.2% vs 1.98%) with all p 1% reduction at the follow-up period was higher in the HI group, while patients in the control group were more likely to attain HbA1c ≥ 9%. Patients in HI group was observed a lower incidence of several AEs including hypoglycemia (2.0% vs 6.8%), vomiting (2.6% vs 7.4%), constipation (1.7% vs 4.4%) and giddiness (3.3% vs 6.3%) with significance in comparison to the control group. Conclusion: HI as an adjunct therapy ameliorates glycemic control, lipid metabolism, insulin resistance and AE incidence of T2DM patients after 6-month treatment, presenting a noteworthy inspiration to existing clinical diabetic treatment.