Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Proves Safe for Healthy Adults in 72-Hour Study
Safety of Prolonged Inhalation of Hydrogen Gas in Air in Healthy Adults
Research hubs: Cardiovascular System · Respiratory System
- Evidence type
- Uncontrolled trial (single-arm or pilot) · Human study
- Authors
- Alexis R. Cole, Francesca Sperotto, James A. DiNardo, Stephanie Carlisle, Michael J. Rivkin, Lynn A. Sleeper, John N. Kheir
- Journal
- Critical Care Explorations
- Year
- 2021
- PMID
- 34651133
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 8
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 2.4% hydrogen gas in medical air via high-flow nasal cannula (15 L/min) for 24, 48, or 72 hours
- H₂ concentration
- 2.4% H2 gas
- Duration
- 3 days
- Funding
- Pappendick Family Therapeutic Acceleration Award; Harvard Catalyst; Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center (National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health Award UL1 TR002541); Harvard University and its affiliated academic healthcare centers
- Conflicts of interest
- None declared
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- United States
TL;DR
Breathing in hydrogen gas at certain levels seems safe for healthy adults and doesn't cause harmful effects.
Key Finding
Inhaling 2.4% hydrogen gas for up to 72 hours produced no clinically significant adverse effects in healthy adults across all measured safety parameters.
Summary
Researchers tested whether breathing hydrogen gas mixed with air is safe in healthy adults. Eight volunteers breathed 2.4% hydrogen gas through a nasal tube for 24 to 72 hours while hospitalized. The researchers monitored their heart rate, breathing, blood tests, brain function, and heart activity before and after exposure. No serious side effects occurred, and all measurements remained normal.
Practical Takeaway
This small safety study in healthy volunteers suggests that inhaled hydrogen gas at this concentration may be tolerable for extended periods, which could support future research in critically ill patients. However, this was a very small study (8 people) in healthy adults only, so it doesn't tell us whether hydrogen gas would be safe or beneficial for people with actual medical conditions.
Abstract (excerpt)
BACKGROUND: Ischemia-reperfusion injury is common in critically ill patients, and directed therapies are lacking. Inhaled hydrogen gas diminishes ischemia-reperfusion injury in models of shock, stroke, and cardiac arrest. The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety of inhaled hydrogen…