09/30/2008 - National Legal News

A two-year study carried out at nine sites has showed that glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, two popular supplements commonly used for arthritis and joint pain, were ineffective at slowing the loss of knee cartilage or the progress of the disease.

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements are often taken by people suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee, particularly in combined form: glucosamine chondroitin is currently the sixth-highest-selling dietary supplement in the United States, with sales in 2007 topping $831 million.

However, the study of 572 volunteers suffering from knee arthritis demonstrated that those given the supplements had about the same amount of cartilage loss as those taking a sugar pill placebo over a 24 month period. In the study, funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases and published in the October issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism, volunteers were administered glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate, a combination of both supplements, celecoxib (a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug marketed under the name Celebrex) or a placebo. None of the options demonstrated any significant advantage in cartilage retention.

Nearly 21 million Americans suffer from osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis; factors which play a role in the development include age, gender, genetics, obesity, and joint injuries.