Hydrogen Therapy Improves Blood Sugar Control in Type 2 Diabetes

TL;DR

Breathing in hydrogen gas as an additional treatment helps improve blood sugar control and reduces the need for insulin in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes.

Key Finding

Hydrogen inhalation as a supplementary treatment reduced HbA1c from 9.04% to 8.00% and fasting blood glucose from 165.6 to 143.6 mg/dL over 6 months in type 2 diabetes patients, with the greatest improvements seen in those with higher baseline blood sugar levels.

Summary

This study followed 431 Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes who used hydrogen inhalation (breathing hydrogen gas) as an add-on treatment for 6 months. Researchers measured changes in blood sugar control and other health markers. Patients showed improvements in HbA1c (a measure of average blood sugar over time), fasting blood glucose, weight, and the amount of insulin they needed. Patients who started with higher blood sugar levels and had diabetes for a shorter time showed the most improvement.

Practical Takeaway

This real-world study suggests hydrogen inhalation may support blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes when used alongside standard treatment. However, this was a single-arm study without a control group, so we cannot definitively say hydrogen inhalation caused the improvements—other factors like lifestyle changes may have contributed. The most common side effect was low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which requires monitoring. More rigorous controlled studies are needed before making treatment decisions based on this evidence.

Abstract (excerpt)

Aim: To evaluate the real-life effectiveness and safety of Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) receiving hydrogen inhalation (HI) treatment as a supplementary treatment. Methods: This retrospective, multicenter, observational 6-months clinical study included T2DM patients…

Read the full abstract via DOI