Glucosamine Osteoarthritis

Glucosamine is commonly used for the treatment of osteoarthritis, and its use is increasing in the general population. Glucosamine is helpful in many patients with osteoarthritis. This web page discusses the research with this nutrient and its role in improving symptoms of patients with osteoarthritis.

Joint Power Rx Formulated by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
Because joint pain is so debilitating, glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate alone are often not enough. This powerful joint formula includes several additional herbal extracts and nutrients including MSM, CMO, boswellia serrata, turmeric, cat's claw extract, grape seed extract, and sea cucumber for optimal joint health.  

Joint Power Rx Supplement has:
Glucosamine sulfate (from shellfish) - glucosamine is a popular ingredient in many joint health products
Chondroitin sulfate - chondroitin is a popular ingredient in many joint health products
MSM nutrient which stands for methylsulfonylmethane
CMO complex also known as cetyl myristoleate
Boswellia serrata extract is used in Ayurvedic medicine
Turmeric is an herb that contains curcumin
Cat's claw extract comes from the Amazon jungle
Devil's claw is a plant widely used in South African traditional medicine,
Grape seed extracts have compounds called procyanidolic oligomers which are powerful antioxidants, perhaps much greater than vitamins C and E.
Sea cucumbers have a number of substances that have therapeutic value.

Efficacy of glucosamine sulfate treatment in patients with osteoarthritis
Pol Merkur Lekarski. 2007 Mar;22(129):204-7. Dudek A, Raczkiewicz-Papierska A, T?ustochowicz W.
Wojskowy Instytut Medyczny, Klinika Chorób Wewnetrznych i Reumatologii CSK MON w Warszawie.
Glucosamine sulfate is precursor of glucosamineglycans synthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of treatment of osteoarthritis patients with glucosamine sulfate (Artreum). Fifty patients with ostoearthritis of the knees (38 pts) or hips (12 pts) entered into study. All patients have been treated with 500 mg of glucosamine three times daily for 12 weeks. We found the significant improvement during treatment in 38 (80) pts. as measured by WOMAC scale and in 36 (70%) as measured by Lequesne'a scale. Self assessed pain improved in 35 (74%) of patients. The efficacy of the treatment was characterized as "good" by 60% of patients, and it was similar to physician assessment. No clinically significant adverse events were observed. In this study we found that glucosamine treatment causes significant improvement in functional status and pain in osteoarthritis patients.

Glucosamine sulphate in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis symptoms: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study using acetaminophen as a side comparator.
Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Feb;56(2):555-67. Rheumatology Department, Fundación Jiménez Díaz-Capio, Madrid, Spain.
To assess the effects of the prescription formulation of glucosamine sulphate (1,500 mg administered once daily) on the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis during a 6-month treatment course. Three hundred eighteen patients were enrolled in this randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial in which acetaminophen, the currently preferred medication for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis, was used as a side comparator. Patients were randomly assigned to receive oral glucosamine sulphate 1,500 mg once daily, acetaminophen 3 gm/day, or placebo. The primary efficacy outcome measure was the change in the Lequesne index after 6 months. Secondary parameters included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and response according to the Osteoarthritis Research Society International criteria. At baseline, the study patients had moderately severe osteoarthritis symptoms (mean Lequesne index approximately 11 points). Glucosamine sulphate was more effective than placebo in improving the Lequesne score, with a final decrease of 3.1 points, versus 1.9 with placebo. The 2.7-point decrease with acetaminophen was not significantly different from that with placebo. Similar results were observed for the WOMAC. There were more responders to glucosamine sulphate (39%) and acetaminophen (33%) than to placebo (21%). Safety was good, and was comparable among groups. The findings of this study indicate that glucosamine sulphate at the oral once-daily dosage of 1,500 mg is more effective than placebo in treating knee osteoarthritis symptoms.

Effectiveness of glucosamine for symptoms of knee osteoarthritis: results from an internet-based randomized double-blind controlled trial.
Am J Med. 2004 Nov 1;117(9):643-9. McAlindon T, Formica M, LaValley M, Lehmer M, Kabbara K. Division of Rheumatology, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts 02111, USA.
To present the safety and effectiveness results of a prototypical 12-week, double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trial of glucosamine among subjects with knee osteoarthritis who were recruited and followed entirely over the Internet. The study comprised 205 subjects aged 45 years or older with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis who were recruited over the Internet; eligibility was authenticated through medical record review. Participants were assigned randomly to 1.5 g/d of glucosamine (n = 101) or placebo (n = 104), of whom 108 completed the intervention (93 in each arm). Our results suggest that although glucosamine appears to be safe, it is no more effective than placebo in treating the symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

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