A study that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) has found that the combination of two dietary supplements, glucosamine and chondroitin, gave a noticeable pain relief from the most common kind of arthritis. It brings hope for millions of people suffering the most from osteoarthritis.
The clinical trial was sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and discovered that using the two supplements in combination "significantly decreased" knee pain in osteoarthritis patients who experience moderate or severe pain. Report on results of the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) is to be published in the Feb. 23 issue of NEJM.
"GAIT adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that shows the two supplements can safely alleviate pain from osteoarthritis," stated Andrew Shao, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition. "This rigorous clinical trial offers strong evidence that glucosamine and chondroitin can provide significant relief from knee pain for those who suffer the most from osteoarthritis," Dr. Shao noted.
Every year, osteoarthritis — a chronic condition that is well-known as the "wear-and-tear" kind of arthritis — affects 21 million of Americans. A large percentage of sufferers experience moderate-to-severe joint and knee pain.
The six-month GAIT research examined 1,500 osteoarthritis patients who were taking a placebo or daily doses of 1,500/mg of glucosamine hydrochloride and/or 1,200 mg of chondroitin sulfate or 200 mg of the popular prescription pain drug celecoxib. In the NEJM article, Daniel O. Clegg, M.D., the lead author, and other scientists notice that an analysis of patients suffering from moderate-to-severe pain "demonstrated that combination therapy significantly decreased knee pain related to osteoarthritis."
Dr Shao noted that the GAIT discoveries are supported by the huge majority of more than 50 published clinical trials that have proved the safety and beneficial role of the two supplements. He also added that glucosamine and chondroitin are able to help others at risk for osteoarthritis or those who experience joint discomfort, including athletes doing
high-impact sports such as running or basketball.
"We believe that the results from this study not only indicate that more research is needed to determine the full potential of glucosamine and chondroitin, but also to reconfirm that these supplements can help the growing number of Americans with joint problems reduce the pain of osteoarthritis," he noted.
