Evidence mapPaperPMID 41964600Full record

ReviewMedical gas research2026

Hydrogen: a novel strategy for preventing and treating hearing loss.

Ling Jin, Shiwang Tan, Ju Lai, Kai Fan, Shican Zhou, Yang Wang, Shaoqing Yu

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Medical gas research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ling JinDepartment of Otolaryngology, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Shiwang Tan
Ju Lai
Kai Fan
Shican Zhou
Yang Wang

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

FactsHydrogen selectively neutralizes harmful free radicals, protecting cochlear cells.Animal studies confirm that hydrogen can reduce hearing damage caused by noise and drugs.Clinical trials have shown that hydrogen inhalation can improve hearing in certain types of patients.Hydrogen has strong diffusivity, allowing it to penetrate barriers and reach inner ear targets.Open QuestionsWhat is the most effective delivery method for hydrogen to reach the human cochlea?Can hydrogen prevent or treat age-related hearing loss? Is experimental evidence still lacking?Can the therapeutic effects observed in small-sample studies be replicated in large-scale trials?Is long-term hydrogen therapy safe? What are its physiological impacts?Beyond its antioxidant effects, what are the specific molecular targets of hydrogen in the auditory system? Sensorineural hearing loss, often caused by irreversible damage to cochlear hair cells, is primarily mediated by oxidative stress triggered by aging, noise exposure, or ototoxic agents. Conventional treatments such as hearing aids or cochlear implants have limitations in accessibility and efficacy. Hydrogen (H 2 ), a selective antioxidant with anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties, has demonstrated protective effects on various organ systems. This review evaluates the therapeutic potential of H 2 in preventing and treating sensorineural hearing loss and aims to inform future research directions. In preclinical models of sensorineural hearing loss, H 2 administration via inhalation, injection, or drinking water reduces reactive oxygen species accumulation, protects cochlear hair cells, and improves functional hearing markers (auditory brainstem response and distortion product otoacoustic emission). Clinical trials have shown that H 2 inhalation improves hearing thresholds in patients with radiotherapy-induced hearing loss and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. No serious side effects have been observed. H 2 's high diffusion capacity and selective reactive oxygen species-scavenging properties support its role as a promising therapeutic for sensorineural hearing loss. While animal data are robust and initial clinical outcomes encouraging, further large-scale studies are warranted to validate efficacy, optimize delivery methods, and establish clinical protocols.

Indexed as

Hearing LossHydrogenAnimalsAntioxidantsHumansOxidative StressAntioxidantsHydrogenage-related hearing losshearing losshydrogenmechanismnoise-induced hearing lossoxidative stresspreventionprogresssensorineural hearing losstreatment

Identifiers

PMID41964600
PMCPMC13456393

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.