11.01.10
Nutraceutical: Glucosamine
Indication: Joint pain/joint space narrowing
Source: BMJ, September 16, 2010;341:c4675.
Research: Researchers conducted a meta-analysis to determine the effect of glucosamine, chondroitin or the two in combination on joint pain and on radiological progression of disease in osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. The main outcome measure was pain intensity and the secondary outcome was change in minimal width of joint space. The data sources included electronic databases and conference proceedings from inception to June 2009, expert contact and relevant websites. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies included: large scale randomized, controlled trials in more than 200 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee or hip that compared glucosamine, chondroitin or their combination with placebo or head to head. Researchers included 10 trials in 3803 patients.
Results: Industry independent trials showed smaller effects than commercially funded trials. Compared with placebo, glucosamine, chondroitin and their combination did not reduce joint pain or have an impact on narrowing of joint space. As a result, researchers believe health authorities and health insurers should not cover the costs of these preparations, and that new prescriptions to patients who have not received treatment should be discouraged.