Popular Anti-Arthritis Supplements Don't Protect Against Disease

Consumers May be Paying for Products That do not Work

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, 2 popular supplements widely believed to help prevent or slow arthritis progression, provide no apparent benefit in slowing down osteoporosis of the knee, according to results from a recent, long-term clinical study. In fact, the results even suggest that using the 2 supplements in combination, as they are frequently marketed, may provide even less activity than either agent alone. The researchers suggest that chondroitin may interfere with the absorption of glucosamine.

The glucosamine-chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) looked at the long term effectiveness of the supplements in comparison with placebo, in reducing joint space narrowing in the knee over a 2-year period. Results in patients with grade 3 osteoarthritis of the knee showed no evidence of benefit. In 2005, 24-week data released from GAIT showed that neither supplement provided better reduction in knee pain compared with placebo.

These findings call into question the current marketing messages used by the manufacturers of these supplements in a highly competitive, multi-million dollar health-supplement market. And, they suggest that consumers may be paying for products that do not work as claimed to.

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Published on Oct-1-08