Hydrogen Gas Shows Promise for Treating Alzheimer's Disease
The role of hydrogen in Alzheimer′s disease
Research hubs: Brain & Nervous System
- Evidence type
- Review or commentary
- Authors
- Xin Tan, Fang Shen, Wan-Li Dong, Yi Yang, Gang Chen
- Journal
- Medical Gas Research
- Year
- 2018
- PMID
- 30713672
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 23 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- China
TL;DR
Scientists found that hydrogen gas might help fight Alzheimer's disease by protecting brain cells from damage and reducing harmful inflammation in the brain, which could slow down memory loss and thinking problems in older people.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas shows potential neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer's disease models through its ability to reduce oxidative stress (harmful chemical reactions) and inflammation in the brain.
Summary
This paper reviews what scientists know about hydrogen gas as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease, a brain condition that causes memory loss and thinking problems in older adults. The authors discuss research showing that hydrogen may protect brain cells by reducing harmful chemical reactions and inflammation in the brain, which are thought to contribute to Alzheimer's damage.
Practical Takeaway
While laboratory and animal studies suggest hydrogen may help protect brain cells in Alzheimer's disease, this is a review paper rather than a clinical trial in humans. Much more research—including human studies—would be needed before hydrogen could be considered a proven treatment for Alzheimer's.
Abstract (excerpt)
Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly. It is often manifested as learning and memory impairment, cognitive function decline, normal social and emotional disorders. However, for this high-risk common disease, there is currently no effective…