Hydrogen Therapy Improves Blood Sugar Control in Type 2 Diabetes
- Authors
- Hongxiang Ji, Ziyi Zhao, Zeyu Liu, Ruitao Sun, Yuquan Li, Xiaoheng Ding, Tongshang Ni
- Journal
- Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity: Targets and Therapy
- Year
- 2023
- DOI
- 10.2147/DMSO.S412898
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Body System
- Endocrine
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
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 maintaining HI, visited at 4 time points. The primary outcome is the mean change in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at the end of the study compared to baseline. The secondary outcome is analyzing the mean change of fasting plasma glucose (FPG), weight, lipid profile, insulin dose and homeostasis model assessment. Linear regression and logistics regression are applied to evaluate the effect of HI after the treatment. Results: Of the 431 patients comprised, it is observed a significant decrease in HbA1c level (9.04±0.82% at baseline to 8.30±0.99% and 8.00±0.80% at the end, p<0.001), FPG (165.6±40.2 mg/dL at baseline to 157.1±36.3mg/dL and 143.6±32.3mg/dL at the end, p<0.001), weight (74.7±7.1kg at baseline to 74.8±10.0kg and 73.6±8.1kg at the end, p<0.001), insulin dose (49.3±10.8U/d at baseline to 46.7±8.0U/d and 45.2±8.7U/d, p<0.001). The individuals in subgroup with higher baseline HbA1c and longer daily HI time duration gain greater HbA1c decrease after 6 months. Linear regression shows that higher baseline HbA1c level and shorter diabetes duration are significantly in relation to greater HbA1c reduction. Logistics regression reveals that lower weight is associated with a higher possibility of reaching HbA1c<7%. The most common adverse event is hypoglycemia. Conclusion: HI therapy significantly improves glycemic control, weight, insulin dose, lipid metabolism, β-cell function and insulin resistance of patients with type 2 diabetes after 6 months. Higher baseline HbA1c level and shorter diabetes duration is related to greater clinical response to HI.