Hydrogen Therapy Could Be New Treatment for COPD Lung Disease
Hydrogen Therapy may be a Novel and Effective Treatment for COPD
Research hubs: Respiratory System

- Evidence type
- Review or commentary
- Authors
- Shu-Lin Liu, Kan Liu, Qiang Sun, Wen-Wu Liu, Heng-Yi Tao, Xue-Jun Sun
- Journal
- Frontiers in Pharmacology
- Year
- 2011
- PMID
- 21687512
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 20 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Scientists think breathing hydrogen gas might help treat a lung disease called COPD because hydrogen is really good at getting rid of harmful chemicals in your body that damage your lungs. This could be a new way to help people with COPD breathe better.
Key Finding
The authors hypothesize that hydrogen therapy could treat COPD by eliminating harmful free radicals that contribute to the disease, but no actual study results are presented.
Summary
This paper proposes that hydrogen gas might help treat COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), a serious lung condition. The authors explain that COPD involves an imbalance of harmful molecules called free radicals in the body, and they suggest that hydrogen's ability to neutralize these harmful molecules could make it a useful treatment. However, this is a theoretical proposal rather than a study with actual results.
Practical Takeaway
This is a proposal for future research, not a completed study with findings. No clinical evidence is provided to support hydrogen therapy for COPD at this time. Anyone with COPD should continue following their doctor's established treatment plans rather than relying on this theoretical suggestion.
Abstract (excerpt)
The protective effect of hydrogen (H(2)) on ROS-induced diseases has been proved by many researches, which demonstrated that through eliminating •OH and •ONOO-, H(2) could effectively attenuate lipid and DNA peroxidation, improve cellular antioxidant capacity, and then protect cells against oxidant…