# The clinical research on the effect of hydrogen-rich water on primary retinitis pigmentosa.
> 水素水摂取が原発性網膜色素変性症患者の視機能に与える影響に関する臨床研究


## Abstract

This clinical study enrolled 13 patients (24 eyes) with primary retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who consumed hydrogen-rich water (HRW) at 400–500 ml twice daily for four consecutive weeks. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) showed statistically significant improvement following HRW intake (p<0.05). Electroretinogram (ERG) analysis revealed significant increases in the amplitudes and improvements in peak times across multiple dark-adaptation and light-adaptation responses, including b-wave in dark-adaptation 0.01, a- and b-waves in dark-adaptation 3.0, dark-adaptation Ops total wave, a- and b-waves in light-adaptation 3.0, and light-adaptation flicker responses. In patients with BCVA better than 20/200, the 15' pattern visual evoked potential (PVEP) showed significant changes, whereas the 1° PVEP did not. No significant differences were observed in intraocular pressure, retinal thickness, or choroidal thickness before and after HRW consumption. These findings suggest that short-term HRW intake may modestly improve visual electrophysiological function in RP patients without altering structural retinal parameters.

### Mechanism

The observed visual improvements are hypothesized to result from hydrogen's antioxidant properties, whereby reactive oxygen species are scavenged, reducing oxidative stress-mediated damage to retinal photoreceptor cells.

## Bibliographic

- **Authors**: Chen X, Chen Y, Lin XM, Ye Q, Zhang S, Wang Y, et al.
- **Journal**: Heliyon
- **Year**: 2023
- **PMID**: [37860576](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37860576/)
- **DOI**: [10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20671](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20671)
- **PMC**: [PMC10582286](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10582286/)
- **Study type**: human observational study
- **Delivery route**: hydrogen-rich water
- **Effect reported**: mixed

## Delivery context

Hydrogen-rich water is a low-risk delivery route, but the achievable systemic hydrogen dose is bounded. For clinical applications, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk, and concentration matters (empirical LFL of 10% applies to inhalation environments; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

## Safety notes

Hydrogen-rich water is a low-risk delivery route, but the achievable systemic hydrogen dose is bounded. For clinical applications, inhalation is the most efficient route; inhalation, however, carries explosion risk, and concentration matters (empirical LFL of 10% applies to inhalation environments; high-concentration devices are documented in the Consumer Affairs Agency accident database and are not recommended).

See also:
- [Inhalation concentration and LFL / UFL](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/inhalation-concentration)
- [Consumer Affairs Agency accident cases](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/accident-cases)
- [Inhalation safety threshold lineage](https://h2-papers.org/en/safety-notes/lineage)

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> **Cite as**: H2 Papers — PMID 37860576. https://h2-papers.org/en/papers/37860576
> **Source**: PubMed PMID [37860576](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37860576/)