The results of two long-awaited clinical trials have found that glucosamine can significantly reduce the pan associated with the pain of arthritic joints, and in fact may be even more effective than painkillers in offering relief from the condition.
In the first study, conducted by the US government-funded National Institutes of Health, almost 1,500 osteoarthritis patients were given a daily dose of either 1,500 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 1,200 mg of chondroitin sulphate, a combination of both supplements, 200 mg of the common prescription painkiller celecoxib (Celebrex) or a placebo for 24 weeks. Both celecoxib and the glucosamine-chondroitin combination significantly reduced knee pain compared to placebo.
The second study from researchers from the Fundacion Jimenez Diaz in Madrid, compared a daily dose of 1500mg of glucosamine sulphate and 3000 mg of the OTC drug to a placebo in 318 patients. After 24 weeks, the superior efficacy of the glucosamine supplement on various pain and mobility indices of osteoarthritis was evident.
Currently, the incidence of osteoarthritis is rapidly rising around the world due both to ageing populations and increasing levels of obesity.
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