Reduction of oxidative stress and CRP levels in hemodialysis patients by hydrogen gas inhalation
Sokawa S, Matsuura A, Suga Y, Sokawa Y, Kojima T, Nakamura H. · Journal of Japanese Society for Dialysis Therapy. 2021;54(9):433–441.
Study at a glance
Human
Adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis.
Hydrogen inhalation started 5–10 minutes before dialysis and continued until 5–10 minutes after dialysis for six consecutive sessions over 2 weeks. · 99.99% H₂ at 500 mL/min through a nasal route.
Six dialysis sessions over 2 weeks, with follow-up after inhalation stopped.
Mean d-ROMs decreased from 433 to 395 U.CARR and CRP from 1.05 to 0.61 mg/dL during inhalation; values later reached 349 U.CARR and 0.42 mg/dL after cessation. Antioxidant capacity did not show a confirmed effect.
Only five treated patients, no parallel control and repeated measurements. Continued changes after withdrawal make causal attribution uncertain. The article does not establish clinical benefit or improved dialysis outcomes.
What kind of evidence is this?
Human
Uncontrolled before-during-after pilot study
Kidney and urinary health
Inhaled H₂
Information not yet classified
Some editorial classification fields are still pending. The source-reported outcomes and result are shown below; Hydrogenology does not infer a positive or negative signal from prose automatically.
Methods
Adults receiving maintenance hemodialysis.
6 patients were characterized at baseline; the hydrogen intervention analysis included 5 with elevated oxidative stress.
Six dialysis sessions over 2 weeks, with follow-up after inhalation stopped.
Hydrogen inhalation started 5–10 minutes before dialysis and continued until 5–10 minutes after dialysis for six consecutive sessions over 2 weeks.
High-purity H₂ gas alone — not Brown's gas.
99.99% H₂ at 500 mL/min through a nasal route.
499.95 mL/min H₂, calculated from 500 mL/min total source-gas flow × 99.99% H₂.
No supplemental O₂ was reported; 0.01% non-H₂ remainder was not identified and is not assumed to be oxygen.
Participants' own pre-intervention and post-withdrawal measurements; no parallel control group.
Outcomes and reported result
d-ROMs oxidative-stress measure, biological antioxidant potential, CRP and dialysis parameters.
Mean d-ROMs decreased from 433 to 395 U.CARR and CRP from 1.05 to 0.61 mg/dL during inhalation; values later reached 349 U.CARR and 0.42 mg/dL after cessation. Antioxidant capacity did not show a confirmed effect.
The complete free J-STAGE full article, Japanese methods, figures and English abstract were checked.
A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit.
Limitations and applicability
Only five treated patients, no parallel control and repeated measurements. Continued changes after withdrawal make causal attribution uncertain. The article does not establish clinical benefit or improved dialysis outcomes.
Maintenance hemodialysis patients in this small Japanese pilot.
No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Read how records and evidence assessments are prepared.
Sources and record status
OpenAlex ID: W3204512112 · DOI: 10.4009/jsdt.54.433
Free full article on J-STAGE.
J-STAGE publisher full article; full-text extraction checked 8 August 2026.
10 August 2026
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