Hydrogen IV Therapy Safe for Stroke Patients in Clinical Trial
Safety of intravenous administration of hydrogen-enriched fluid in patients with acute cerebral ischemia: Initial clinical studies
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System · Cardiovascular System
- Evidence type
- Uncontrolled trial (single-arm or pilot) · Human study
- Authors
- Kimihiro Nagatani, Hiroshi Nawashiro, Satoru Takeuchi, Satoshi Tomura, Naoki Otani, Hideo Osada, Kojiro Wada, Hiroshi Katoh, Nobusuke Tsuzuki, Kentaro Mori
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2013
- PMID
- 23799921
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 38
- Delivery
- Water (Dissolved)
- Dose
- Single dose intravenous H2-enriched solution administered immediately after diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke
- H₂ concentration
- 1.0 ppm or more (up to 1.6 ppm)
- Duration
- 3 months
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 62 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
A pilot study suggests that intravenous hydrogen therapy is safe for stroke patients, even when used with a common stroke medication.
Key Finding
Intravenous hydrogen-enriched fluid was well-tolerated in 38 acute stroke patients, with only minor complications in 5.3% and no serious adverse events, even when combined with clot-busting medication.
Summary
This pilot study tested whether giving patients with acute ischemic stroke (a type of stroke caused by a blood clot) an intravenous solution enriched with hydrogen gas was safe. Thirty-eight stroke patients received the hydrogen-enriched fluid along with standard treatments. Only 2 patients experienced minor side effects (diarrhea and heart failure), and no serious complications or concerning lab or heart changes were observed. Patients' stroke severity scores improved over the 90-day follow-up period.
Practical Takeaway
This small, early-stage human study suggests that hydrogen therapy may be safe as an add-on treatment for acute stroke, but it was not designed to prove whether hydrogen actually helps patients recover better. Much larger, controlled studies would be needed to determine whether hydrogen provides real therapeutic benefit beyond standard stroke care.
Abstract (excerpt)
Most of the results regarding hydrogen (H2) therapy for acute cerebral ischemia are derived from in vitro studies and animal experiments, with only a few obtained from human trials with a limited number of subjects. Thus, there is a paucity of information regarding both the beneficial therapeutic…