Hydrogen Water Protects Eyes During Cataract Surgery
- Authors
- Tsutomu Igarashi, Ikuroh Ohsawa, Maika Kobayashi, Yusuke Umemoto, Takeshi Arima, Hisaharu Suzuki, Toru Igarashi, Toshiaki Otsuka, Hiroshi Takahashi
- Journal
- American Journal of Ophthalmology
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ajo.2019.04.014
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Cataracts
- Body System
- Visual
TL;DR
Adding hydrogen to the solution used in cataract surgery significantly protects the delicate cells on the back of the cornea from damage.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-enriched irrigation solution reduced corneal endothelial cell loss by approximately 50-60% compared to conventional solutions at all time points measured after cataract surgery.
Summary
In this clinical trial, 32 cataract surgery patients had one eye treated with hydrogen-enriched surgical fluid and the other eye treated with standard fluid. Researchers measured the number of cells in the cornea's inner layer (endothelial cells) before surgery and at multiple points afterward. Eyes treated with hydrogen-enriched fluid lost significantly fewer endothelial cells—about half as many—compared to eyes treated with standard fluid, suggesting hydrogen reduces damage caused by harmful molecules (free radicals) generated during the ultrasound-based surgery.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen water or hydrogen-enriched solutions may help protect the eye's inner corneal layer during cataract surgery, a procedure that can damage these delicate cells. However, this research is specific to surgical use and doesn't address whether drinking hydrogen water would provide similar benefits. More research in larger patient groups would be needed to confirm these findings and understand any broader applications.
Abstract
Purpose: Hydrogen (H2) has been reported to scavenge free radicals, particularly the hydroxyl radical (·OH). Ultrasound oscillation in an aqueous solution produces ·OH. Our recent study demonstrated that H2 dissolved in an irrigation solution prevented corneal endothelial damage during phacoemulsification in an animal model. We examined the effects of H2 during clinical phacoemulsification. Design: A single-center, prospective, randomized, double-masked clinical trial. Methods: Thirty-two patients who had cataracts of similar nucleus hardness in both eyes (age: 75.4±7.68 years; 17 males, 15 females) were recruited. Phacoemulsification was performed using a solution of dissolved H2 in one eye, and a conventional solution in the contralateral eye. Endothelial cell density (ECD) at the center of the cornea was measured using noncontact specular microscopy preoperatively and at 1 day, 1 week, and 3 weeks postoperatively. Results: Reduction rates of ECD (mean ± standard deviation) were 16.0%±15.7% at 1 day, 15.4%±16.1% at 1 week, and 18.4%±14.9% at 3 weeks in the control group, compared to 6.5%±8.7% at 1 day (P = .003), 9.3%±11.0% at 1 week (P = .039), and 8.5%±10.5% at 3 weeks (P = .004) in the H2 groups. These rates were significantly smaller in the H2 group at all time points. Conclusions: H2 dissolved in irrigation solution reduced corneal endothelial damage during phacoemulsification. This suggests that a considerable part of the corneal endothelial damage during phacoemulsification is caused by oxidative stress, and that H2 is useful in clinical phacoemulsification.