Hydrogen IV Therapy Reduces Arthritis Pain and Inflammation in Study
Therapeutic efficacy of infused molecular hydrogen in saline on rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study
Research hubs: Rheumatoid Arthritis · Musculoskeletal System
- Evidence type
- Randomized controlled trial · Human study
- Authors
- Toru Ishibashi, Bunpei Sato, Shinji Shibata, Takaaki Sakai, Yuichi Hara, Yuji Naritomi, Samon Koyanagi, Hiroshi Hara, Tetsuhiko Nagao
- Journal
- International Immunopharmacology
- Year
- 2014
- PMID
- 24929023
- Study Type
- Human
- Participants
- 24
- Delivery
- Saline (Dissolved)
- Dose
- 500 ml H2-saline infused intravenously daily for 5 days
- H₂ concentration
- 1 ppm
- Duration
- 4 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 73 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Infusing saline with dissolved hydrogen gas (H2-saline) into the bloodstream reduced symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis safely and effectively.
Key Finding
Patients who received intravenous hydrogen-infused saline showed a 28% decrease in disease activity scores over 4 weeks and a 37% reduction in IL-6 (an inflammatory marker), while the placebo group showed no improvement or worsening.
Summary
This small study tested whether hydrogen-infused saline given intravenously could help people with rheumatoid arthritis (a disease where the immune system attacks joints). Twenty-four patients received either hydrogen-infused saline or placebo saline daily for 5 days. The hydrogen group showed improvements in disease activity scores and reductions in inflammatory markers (proteins in the blood that indicate inflammation) after 4 weeks, while the placebo group did not improve.
Practical Takeaway
This early-stage pilot study suggests hydrogen-infused saline may help reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and inflammation, but the sample size was very small (24 patients) and it involved intravenous infusion rather than drinking hydrogen water. Larger, longer studies are needed before any conclusions can be drawn about hydrogen as a treatment for RA.
Abstract (excerpt)
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of H2-saline infusion for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled investigation of the infusion of 1 ppm H2-dissolved saline (H2-saline) in 24 RA patients. Patients were…