Hydrogen and Nitric Oxide Therapy Helps Long COVID Breathing Problems
Rehabilitation program of post-COVID-19 syndrome with the use of nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen
Research hubs: Respiratory System · Cardiovascular System
- Evidence type
- Controlled trial (non-randomized) · Human study
- Authors
- Darya D. Pozdnyakova, Tatiana А. Bakhareva, Irina A. Baranova, Victor D. Selemir, Alexander G. Chuchalin
- Journal
- Terapevticheskii Arkhiv
- Year
- 2024
- PMID
- 38713041
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 34
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 90 minutes once a day for 10 days, H2 <4% in gas mixture combined with NO 60 ppm
- H₂ concentration
- <4%
- Duration
- 10 days
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 7 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Russia
TL;DR
Inhaling a mixture of nitric oxide and hydrogen gas helped improve breathing difficulties, fatigue, and overall quality of life in patients suffering from long-term COVID-19 symptoms.
Key Finding
Patients with post-COVID-19 respiratory symptoms who inhaled a combination of nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen for 10 days experienced significant reductions in shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, and palpitations, along with improved exercise tolerance and quality of life scores compared to untreated controls.
Summary
This study tested whether inhaling a mixture of nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen could help 34 patients recovering from long-term COVID-19 symptoms, particularly breathing problems. Patients who received 90 minutes of daily inhalations for 10 days showed improvements in shortness of breath, cough, fatigue, and heart palpitations compared to a control group that received no treatment. They also walked farther in a 6-minute walking test and showed signs of reduced cellular damage in their blood.
Practical Takeaway
This small, unblinded study suggests that inhaled nitric oxide and hydrogen gas may help some post-COVID-19 patients with breathing problems, but the findings are preliminary. The study lacked a placebo control group and involved only 34 patients, so larger, more rigorous trials would be needed before drawing firm conclusions about effectiveness. Anyone considering such treatment should consult their healthcare provider.
Abstract (excerpt)
Рost-COVID-19 syndrome (PS) is one of the medical and social problem. According to WHO, 10-20% of COVID-19 patients suffer from PS. The use of medical gases - inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) and molecular hydrogen (iH2) - may influence on the mechanisms of development PC. Aim: To evaluate the safety…