Hydrogen Gas May Help Treat Erectile Dysfunction in Diabetic Men
- Authors
- Jun Chen, Bin Zhang, Mingchao Li, Tao Qi, Zheng Chen, Xuejun Sun, Xiao Chen
- Journal
- Alternative Medicine Studies
- Year
- 2011
- DOI
- 10.4081/ams.2011.e11
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Diabetic Erectile Dysfunction
- Body System
- Reproductive
TL;DR
Scientists think breathing in hydrogen gas might help treat erectile dysfunction in people with diabetes because hydrogen can reduce harmful stuff in the body that damages blood vessels and prevents them from working properly.
Key Finding
This is a hypothesis paper proposing hydrogen gas inhalation as a potential treatment for diabetic erectile dysfunction, not a completed study with results.
Summary
This paper proposes a hypothesis that hydrogen gas inhalation could help treat erectile dysfunction in people with diabetes. The authors note that hydrogen has been shown to reduce harmful molecules called free radicals (unstable atoms that damage cells) in various organs, and that free radicals may contribute to erectile dysfunction in diabetes. They suggest hydrogen therapy could work by reducing these harmful molecules, but no actual study results are presented—this is a theoretical proposal for future research.
Practical Takeaway
While this paper outlines an interesting theoretical mechanism, it presents no actual human or animal research data—only a proposal for future studies. Anyone interested in hydrogen therapy for erectile dysfunction should wait for actual clinical trials before considering it as a treatment option.
Abstract
Inhalation of hydrogen gas has been proven to be an effective treatment for ischemia-reper-fusion injury by selectively reducing hydroxyl and peroxynitrite radicals. There has been con-siderable evidence of hydrogen's protective effect against diseases related to oxidative injury, such as the ischemia-reperfusion injury of the brain, liver and heart. More and more studies suggest that radical oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in the develop-ment of diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED) and antioxidants can markedly decrease the produc-tion of ROS and improve the erectile function. We hypothesize that hydrogen therapy may be a promising, safe and effective treatment for dia-betic ED by reducing the production of ROS.