Hydrogen-Enhanced Dialysis Reduces Fatigue and Itching in Kidney Patients
- Authors
- Masaaki Nakayama, Noritomo Itami, Hodaka Suzuki, Hiromi Hamada, Naoyuki Osaka, Ryo Yamamoto, Kazumasa Tsunoda, Hirofumi Nakano, Kimio Watanabe, Wan-Jun Zhu, Yukio Maruyama, Hiroyuki Terawaki, Shigeru Kabayama, Ryoichi Nakazawa, Mariko Miyazaki, Sadayoshi Ito
- Journal
- PLoS One
- Year
- 2017
- DOI
- 10.1371/journal.pone.0184535
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Body System
- Renal
TL;DR
A new type of hemodialysis that uses hydrogen-enriched dialysis solution may reduce blood pressure medication needs and symptoms like severe fatigue and itching in patients.
Key Finding
Patients receiving hydrogen-enriched hemodialysis reported significantly less severe fatigue and itching, and required fewer antihypertensive medications compared to those receiving standard hemodialysis over 12 months.
Summary
This study compared two types of hemodialysis (a treatment that filters waste from blood in kidney disease patients) over 12 months: one that delivered hydrogen-enriched dialysis fluid and one that used standard dialysis fluid. While both treatments worked similarly for removing waste, patients using hydrogen-enriched dialysis reported less severe fatigue and itching, and needed fewer blood pressure medications.
Practical Takeaway
This interim analysis suggests that hydrogen-enriched dialysis may help reduce some bothersome symptoms in dialysis patients, though this is an early-stage finding from one observational study. The researchers note these results support the need for larger, more rigorous clinical trials to confirm whether hydrogen delivery provides real clinical benefits. Anyone on dialysis should discuss these findings with their nephrologist rather than making treatment changes based on this study alone.
Abstract
Background and aim: It is supposed that enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation are involved with the poor clinical outcomes in patients on chronic dialysis treatment. Recent studies have shown that molecular hydrogen (H2) is biologically active as an anti-inflammatory agent. Thus, we developed a novel hemodialysis (E-HD) system which delivers H2 (30 to 80 ppb)-enriched dialysis solution, to conduct a prospective observational study (UMIN000004857) in order to compare the long-term outcomes between E-HD and conventional-HD (C-HD) in Japan. The present interim analysis aimed to look at potential clinical effects of E-HD during the first 12 months observation. Subjects and method: 262 patients (140, E-HD; 122, C-HD) were subjected for analysis for comprehensive clinical profiles. They were all participating in the above mentioned study, and they had been under the respective HD treatment for 12 consecutive months without hospitalization. Collected data, such as, physical and laboratory examinations, medications, and self-assessment questionnaires on subjective symptoms (i.e., fatigue and pruritus) were compared between the two groups. Results: In a 12-month period, no clinical relevant differences were found in dialysis-related parameters between the two groups. However, there were differences in the defined daily dose of anti-hypertensive agents, and subjective symptoms, such as severe fatigue, and pruritus, which were all less in the E-HD group. Multivariate analysis revealed E-HD was an independent significant factor for the reduced use of anti-hypertensive agents as well as the absence of severe fatigue and pruritus at 12 months after adjusting for confounding factors. Conclusion: The data indicates E-HD could have substantial clinical benefits beyond conventional HD therapy, and support the rationale to conduct clinical trials of H2 application to HD treatment.