Hydrogenology editorial study record

Efficacy and Safety of Hydrogen Therapy in Patients with Early-Stage Interstitial Lung Disease

Tang C et al. · Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2023;19:1051–1061.

HumanH₂-rich waterPublished 2023

Study record, not medical adviceThis page reports one source and Hydrogenology’s source-text extraction. It does not establish that molecular hydrogen is effective, safe or appropriate for any person. Human, animal and laboratory evidence must not be treated as equivalent.

Source and classification

What kind of evidence is this?

Evidence stream

Human

Reported design

Single-center randomized parallel-group active-controlled trial

Research topic

Respiratory health

Administration classification

H₂-rich water

Study result signal

Not reported in this record.

Outcome type

Not reported in this record.

Reported in the source

Methods at a glance

Population or model

Adults with early-stage interstitial lung disease

Sample

87 randomized: H₂ water n=44; N-acetylcysteine n=43; 75 completed

Duration

48 weeks

Intervention

350 mL hydrogen-rich water twice daily

Hydrogen form

H₂ dissolved in water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas and not inhalation.

H₂ specification

1.6 ppm dissolved H₂.

H₂ flow

Not applicable — oral water, not gas inhalation.

O₂ delivered with H₂

No O₂ was co-delivered as part of the intervention.

Comparator

N-acetylcysteine 600 mg orally three times daily

Reported, not endorsed

Outcomes and reported result

Outcomes measured

HRCT change, composite physiologic index, pulmonary-function measures and adverse events

Reported result

The article reports more HRCT improvement and favorable CPI and DLCO-sb changes with H₂ water. FVC, FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC and TLC changes did not significantly differ; the primary endpoint was not significant in the full analysis set.

Results-extraction completeness

Dose, full methods, results, funding and conflicts checked in open-access full text; independent appraisal remains incomplete.

A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit. Null findings, outcome type, study design and precision all matter.

Interpretation limits

Cautions and applicability

Design and reporting cautions

Single-center active-control trial without placebo water, 12 non-completers, imaging interpretation and mixed full-analysis/per-protocol findings. The water supplier provided H₂ water; public funding was reported.

Applies directly to

Adults with early-stage ILD meeting the study criteria; not advanced fibrotic lung disease.

Preliminary appraisal framework

Not reported in this record.

Preliminary risk-of-bias status

Not reported in this record.

Appraisal rationale

Not reported in this record.

No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Certainty is assessed by important outcome across a complete eligible evidence set, not by attaching a final grade to one source.

Provenance

Sources and record status

Identifiers

PMID: 38107500 · DOI: 10.2147/TCRM.S438044

Publisher access

Open-access full text is available through PMC and the publisher.

Extraction basis

Open-access PMC and publisher full texts plus PubMed record.

Record revision

2026-08-10

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