Evidence mapPaperPMID 42446320Full record

SynthesisNoise & health

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Hydrogen Therapy in Hearing Loss.

CongZhong Wang, Mailudan Ainiwaer, Zheng Jiang, LongHao Wang

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Noise & health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

CongZhong WangDepartment of Otolaryngology, Mianzhu People's Hospital, Mianzhu, Sichuan, China.
Mailudan AiniwaerDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Zheng JiangDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
LongHao WangDepartment of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery; West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHydrogen (H 2 ) therapy demonstrates selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with potential therapeutic value for multiple forms of hearing loss, though consolidated evidence is still lacking.

methodsWe conducted a systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, searching PubMed, MEDLINE, and DOAJ (until March 1, 2025) for studies on H 2 treatment for noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL), drug-induced hearing loss (DIHL), radiotherapy-induced hearing loss (RIHL), and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL). After screening by two reviewers, 11 studies involving human or animal subjects were included. Data were synthesized by hearing loss type, and the Systematic Review Centre for Laboratory Animal Experimentation tool assessed bias risk in animal studies.

resultsIn NIHL models, H 2 administration reduced Auditory Brainstem Response threshold shifts and improved Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions recovery, while preserving cochlear morphology via reactive oxygen species (ROS) suppression. For DIHL, inhaled H 2 protected hair cells and spiral ganglion neurons through ROS scavenging and apoptosis inhibition. Clinically, H 2 inhalation improved hearing in RIHL patients post-radiotherapy. One randomized trial in ISSNHL showed H 2 combined with standard therapy significantly enhanced hearing recovery.

conclusionH 2 exhibits protective effects in preclinical NIHL and DIHL models, and promising outcomes in clinical RIHL and ISSNHL, primarily via antioxidative and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Further trials are required to establish optimal protocols and confirm efficacy.

Indexed as

Hearing LossHydrogenAnimalsAntioxidantsHearing Loss, Noise-InducedHumansTreatment OutcomeAntioxidantsHydrogenanti-inflammatory agentsbiocompatible materialshearing losshydrogenoxidative stress

Identifiers

PMID42446320
PMCPMC13399551

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.