Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Helps Stroke Recovery in Clinical Trial
Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Treatment in Acute Cerebral Infarction: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Study on Safety and Neuroprotection
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Cardiovascular System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Hirohisa Ono, Yoji Nishijima, Shigeo Ohta, Masaki Sakamoto, Kazunori Kinone, Tohru Horikosi, Mituyuki Tamaki, Hirosi Takeshita, Tomoko Futatuki, Wataru Ohishi, Taichi Ishiguro, Saori Okamoto, Shou Ishii, Hiroko Takanami
- Journal
- Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2017.06.012
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Acute Cerebral Infarction
- Body System
- Neurological
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas was found to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with recent, mild to moderate strokes.
Key Finding
Patients with acute stroke who inhaled 3% hydrogen gas twice daily for one week showed significant improvements in stroke severity scores, brain imaging markers of infarction, and functional recovery, with no serious adverse effects reported.
Summary
This study tested whether inhaling hydrogen gas could help patients who had recently suffered a stroke (a blockage of blood flow to the brain). Fifty patients with mild-to-moderate strokes were divided into two groups: one group inhaled 3% hydrogen gas for one hour twice daily for a week, while the other group received standard medical treatment. The hydrogen group showed no serious side effects and had better outcomes on tests measuring stroke severity, brain damage on MRI scans, and physical recovery compared to the control group.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen gas inhalation may be safe and potentially beneficial for acute stroke treatment, but the findings come from only 50 patients in a single trial. Larger, longer-term studies are needed to confirm these results and determine whether hydrogen gas could become a practical addition to standard stroke care.
Abstract (excerpt)
Background: Molecular hydrogen (H2) acts as a therapeutic antioxidant. Inhalation of H2 gas (1-4%) was effective for the improvement of cerebral infarction in multiple animal experiments. Thus, for actual applications, a randomized controlled clinical study is desired to evaluate the effects…