Study Suggests Expanded Benefits of Glucosamine

Glucosamine provided some relief to adults with “regular” knee pain, according to a new study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (2003;37:45–9). This report suggests that osteoarthritis (OA) may not be the only cause of joint problems that respond to glucosamine supplementation. Additionally, this trial used glucosamine hydrochloride, a form of the supplement that, while popular, has not received much attention in scientific research.

OA is a common cause of joint pain in people of advanced age; however, many younger people experience pain related to sports injuries and other causes. The new study recruited participants with an average age of 42 to 43 years who experienced knee pain “more often than not” during normal activities. While some of these individuals may have had early cases of OA, no attempt was made in this study to diagnose the cause of pain in these people.

In the new trial, 50 men and women were assigned to receive, in a double-blind fashion, 2,000 mg per day of glucosamine hydrochloride or placebo for three months. Several measurements of pain, tenderness, mobility, and ability to perform stressful knee movements were assessed periodically throughout the study. Results showed that the glucosamine group reported significantly more improvement in some (though not all) measures of pain, mobility, and ability to function in daily activities compared with the placebo group. However, performance of stressful knee movements (a stair-climbing test and a “duck walk” test) did not improve.

Most previous studies of glucosamine have treated individuals considerably older than those in the current trial, and all have had a diagnosis of OA. Additionally, these prior studies have almost universally tested glucosamine sulfate, taken in the amount of 1,500 mg per day, rather than the hydrochloride form. Only one earlier controlled trial has tested glucosamine hydrochloride alone as a treatment for OA, and the results were disappointing (although glucosamine hydrochloride was somewhat more effective than a placebo, the difference between treatments was not statistically significant). In contrast, glucosamine sulfate has an impressive record of positive results in double-blind research, including evidence from long-term studies that further deterioration of osteoarthritic joints may be prevented by glucosamine sulfate.

The new study should stimulate interest in further testing of different glucosamine compounds, using different dosages, in populations of varying ages who suffer from chronic joint pain. Such research could help establish more precisely the best use of this valuable dietary supplement.

James Gerber, MS, DC, is the Scientific Advisor for the Healthnotes Newsletter, an exclusive product of Healthnotes, Inc. Dr. Gerber is Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences at Western States Chiropractic College in Portland, Oregon and a member of the Adjunct Faculty of the National College of Naturopathic Medicine and the University of Bridgeport. In addition, he teaches post-graduate courses for several professional colleges. Dr. Gerber is the author of the Handbook of Preventive and Therapeutic Nutrition (Aspen, 1992) and a contributor to Conservative Management of Sports Injuries (Williams & Wilkins, 1997).

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