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The recent meta-analysis
Timothy McAlindon and his colleagues at The Arthritis Center, Boston University
School of Medicine, published a meta-analysis in March, 2000, on 15 controlled
studies of glucosamine and chondroitin in people with osteoarthritis. They
concluded that “some degree of efficacy appears probable for these
preparations,” though they also pointed out that “quality issues and likely
publication bias [studies finding a benefit are more likely to be published]
suggest that these effects are exaggerated.” The full text of the original
article is no longer available for free from the American Medical Association.
The NIH-sponsored study
A large, federally-funded study of glucosamine and chondroitin to see whether
one of them alone or both in combination is more effective is about to be
launched by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The trials will be
conducted in Northern and Southern California, Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Utah, and Washington State.
If you’re interested in volunteering, leave a message with the study
headquarters at the University of Utah School of Medicine (801-585-6468). You
must be at least 40 years old, suffer osteoarthritis of the knee or knee pain,
and not have diabetes or high blood pressure.
Analyses of Commercial Glucosamine and Chondroitin Products
Consumerlab.com recently tested 25 brands of glucosamine, chondroitin, and
combinations of the two. All ten of the glucosamine products, neither of the
two chondroitin-only products, and seven of the thirteen combination products
passed. Bear in mind that the results are based on testing only one sample of
each brand and brands that failed are not named.
Natalie Eddington of the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy in Baltimore
also recently tested glucosamine and chondroitin products. She found that 12 of
14 glucosamine brands, but only five of thirty-two chondroitin brands, contained
at least 90 percent of what the label claimed. Neither Eddington nor the
University of Maryland would reveal which brands passed and which failed. The
full text of her findings, published in the Journal of the American
Nutraceuticals Association, is not available online.
More Information on Glucosamine and Chondroitin
The Arthritis Foundation has published a brochure on these supplements pointing
out that, “In past studies done primarily in Europe, some people with mild to
moderate osteoarthritis who took either glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate
reported pain relief at a level similar to that of nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin and ibuprofen.” The brochure
gives advice about how to purchase and take the supplements.
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