Hydrogen Therapy Protects Heart from Damage During Heart Attacks
- Authors
- Liangtong Li, Xiangzi Li, Zhe Zhang, Li Liu, Yujuan Zhou, Fulin Liu
- Journal
- Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.3923/pjbs.2020.103.112
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Scientists found that hydrogen gas can protect heart cells from damage that happens when blood flow is restored after a heart attack, by fighting off harmful chemicals and reducing swelling—which could be a new way to treat heart disease and save lives.
Key Finding
Hydrogen acts as a selective antioxidant that may protect heart tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury through free radical neutralization, anti-apoptotic effects (preventing cell death), and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
Summary
This is a review article that examines how hydrogen gas may protect heart tissue from damage that occurs when blood flow is restored after a heart attack. The authors explain that hydrogen works by neutralizing harmful molecules called free radicals and reducing inflammation, and they discuss how this approach might be used clinically to improve outcomes for heart disease patients.
Practical Takeaway
This is a review of existing research rather than a new study with human subjects, so it summarizes potential rather than proven benefits. While early evidence suggests hydrogen may have protective effects in heart tissue, most research to date has been in laboratory or animal settings. More human clinical trials would be needed to determine whether hydrogen water or hydrogen gas has meaningful therapeutic value for heart disease patients.
Abstract
Cardiovascular disease accounts for one-third of all deaths, with ischemic heart disease as the main cause of death. Under pathological conditions, ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) often occurs in tissues. Ischemic injury is mainly caused by anaerobic cell death and reperfusion which results in a wide range of inflammatory responses. These responses are able to increase tissue damage and even damage to the whole body. IRI can also aggravate the original cardiovascular disease during the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Therefore, it is particularly important to understand the mechanism of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury (MIRI) for clinical treatment and application. At the same time, it is necessary to find a safe, reliable and feasible method for treating MIRI to reduce the incidence of complications and mortality as well as improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients. As a selective antioxidant, hydrogen can neutralize excessive free radicals, has certain anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory effects and it has gradually become a focus and hotspot of preclinical and clinical research. Hydrogen has been shown to have a certain therapeutic effect on MIRI, which can provide a new therapeutic direction for the clinical treatment of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury. In this review, the protective mechanism and clinical application of hydrogen in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury is discussed.