World Asthma Day: Making Inhalation Therapy Accessible for All Asthma Patients

Asthma

is a common and serious

chronic respiratory disease,

ranking as the second most prevalent respiratory condition in China.

It is also one of the key chronic respiratory diseases targeted for prevention and control.

May 6

marks the 27th World Asthma Day

This year’s theme is:

“Making Inhalation Therapy Accessible for All Asthma Patients.”


Asthma affects millions worldwide.In China,about 4.2%of people aged 20 and above—roughly 47.5 millionindividuals—live with asthma.Including children and adolescents under 20,the total number of asthma patients reaches around 60 million[1].



Asthma occurs when patients are exposed to airway irritants,also called asthma triggers.The muscles around the airway walls tighten,narrowing the airways.The surrounding tissues become inflamed and swollen,and thick phlegm or mucus may accumulate,further restricting airflow.Symptoms include:recurrent wheezing,shortness of breath,chest tightness,and coughing—often worsening at night or in the early morning.Most patients can relieve symptoms on their own or with treatment,but severe cases can be life-threatening.

While asthma cannot yet be fully cured,standardized treatment and careful management allow most patients to live normal,healthy lives.


This year,World Asthma Day emphasizes the importance of making inhalation therapies widely accessible.Medical studies have shown that inhaling a high-concentration hydrogen-oxygen mixture can effectively reduce pulmonary oxidative stress,improve lung tissue pathology,and lower airway resistance,making it a promising method for asthma management.

Regarding its effects,as early as 2015,Professor Zhang Jingxi and his team at Shanghai Changhai Hospital conducted research showing that hydrogen-oxygen inhalation improved oxidative stress levels,reduced airway resistance,and alleviated lung tissue damage in asthmatic rats.These findings were published in the International Journal of Respiratory Medicine[2].


In 2019,Professor Zhang Qingling and his team at the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases conducted a mechanistic study on hydrogen-oxygen inhalation for asthma treatment,further clarifying its effects on airway resistance.Their findings were published in International Immunopharmacology[3].


(Lung tissue sections show that in asthma,a large number of inflammatory cells accumulate beneath the tracheal epithelium,while in the hydrogen-oxygen inhalation group,this inflammatory response was significantly reduced.)

In 2020,researchers at Peking Union Medical College Hospital,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences,conducted a prospective study with 10 COPD patients and 10 asthma patients who received hydrogen inhalation therapy.The results demonstrated a significant decrease in pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in both groups[4].

These studies highlight that hydrogen-oxygen inhalation already shows clear therapeutic potential for asthma.Continued research by more institutions and scholars is expected to further explore its benefits,making this therapy accessible to a wider population of asthma patients.

References:

[1]Huang K,Yang T,Xu J,Yang L,Zhao J,Zhang X,Bai C,Kang J,Ran P,Shen H,Wen F,Chen Y,Sun T,Shan G,Lin Y,Xu G,Wu S,Wang C,Wang R,Shi Z,Xu Y,Ye X,Song Y,Wang Q,Zhou Y,Li W,Ding L,Wan C,Yao W,Guo Y,Xiao F,Lu Y,Peng X,Zhang B,Xiao D,Wang Z,Chen Z,Bu X,Zhang H,Zhang X,An L,Zhang S,Zhu J,Cao Z,Zhan Q,Yang Y,Liang L,Tong X,Dai H,Cao B,Wu T,Chung KF,He J,Wang C;China Pulmonary Health(CPH)Study Group.Prevalence,risk factors,and management of asthma in China:a national cross-sectional study.Lancet.2019 Aug 3;394(10196):407-418.

[2]Zhang Ning,Zhang Jingxi.Therapeutic effect of inhaling high-concentration hydrogen on bronchial asthma in rats.International Journal of Respiration,35(3):4.DOI:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1673-436X.2015.03.005.

[3]Huang P,Wei S,Huang W,Wu P,Chen S,Tao A,Wang H,Liang Z,Chen R,Yan J,Zhang Q.Hydrogen gas inhalation enhances alveolar macrophage phagocytosis in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model.Int Immunopharmacol.2019 Sep;74:105646.

[4]Wang ST,Bao C,He Y,Tian X,Yang Y,Zhang T,Xu KF.Hydrogen gas(XEN)inhalation ameliorates airway inflammation in asthma and COPD patients.QJM.2020 Dec 1;113(12):870-875.