Abstract
Here we review the literature on the effects of molecular hydrogen (H2) on normal human subjects and patients with a variety of diagnoses, such as metabolic, rheumatic, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative and other diseases, infections and physical and radiation damage as well as effects on aging and exercise. Although the effects of H2 have been studied in multiple animal models of human disease, such studies will not be reviewed in depth here. H2 can be administered as a gas, in saline implants or infusions, as topical solutions or baths or by drinking H2-enriched water. This latter method is the easiest and least costly method of administration. There are no safety issues with hydrogen; it has been used for years in gas mixtures for deep diving and in numerous clinical trials without adverse events, and there are no warnings in the literature of its toxicity or long-term exposure effects. Molecular hydrogen has proven useful and convenient as a novel antioxidant and modifier of gene expression in many conditions where oxidative stress and changes in gene expression result in cellular damage.
Highlights
Hydrogen (H) is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe; in its molecular form H2 is a colorless, odorless, tasteless non-toxic nonmetallic gas [1]
What started in Japan and the Far East as preliminary results on the clinical use of hydrogen has continued there and elsewhere, to the point where there are a critical number of scientific and clinical studies that support the use of hydrogen as a primary or supportive component of clinical care
The clinical justification for hydrogen use is growing because: 1) Redox imbalance and the excess production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) have been implicated in many, if not all, pathophysiological mechanisms leading to a wide variety of medical conditions and diseases
Summary
Hydrogen (H) is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe; in its molecular form H2 is a colorless, odorless, tasteless non-toxic nonmetallic gas [1]. Until recently hydrogen was thought to be physiologically inert [2], but in 2007 it was reported that hydrogen could ameliorate cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury and selectively reduce strong cytotoxic oxygen radicals, including hydroxyl radical (OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO−) [2] [5]. This followed from experiments by Christensen and Sehested where molecular hydrogen was found to neutralize hydroxyl radicals in aqueous solutions at 20 ̊C [6]
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