Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee Osteoarthritis

In this awaited multicenter for a long time NIH-supported the test, investigators glucosamine examined the dietetic supplements and sulphate of chondroitin in patients with osteoartritis of the knee. The test at least included to 1583 patients with pain the knee 6 months, plus the radiográfica evidence of the osteoartritis of the knee. They selected to the patients at random to receive placebo, the hydrochlorate of glucosamine (500 magnesium 3 measures the time of the newspaper), the sulphate of chondroitin (400 magnesium 3 measures the time of the newspaper), both supplements, or celecoxib (200 magnesium newspaper). An answer to the treatment was defined as a diminution of 20% of the pain in a scale estandardizada in 24 weeks.

The total rates of answer were 60%, 64%, 65%, 67%, and 70% in placebo, glucosamine, chondroitin, glucosamine/el chondroitin, and the groups of celecoxib, respectively. Only the answer to celecoxib was statistical significant compared with placebo. In a sub-group of patients with the moderate-to-severe pain (22% of participants), the rates of answer were 54%, 66%, 61%, 79%, and 69%, respectively. Only the answer of 79% to glucosamine/a chondroitin combined was statistical significant compared with placebo. The global burdens of the patients of the answer to the therapy were not statistical significant for any active treatment (compared with placebo) in the smooth or moderate-to-severe sub-groups.

Commentary: In this test, the hydrochlorate of glucosamine, the sulphate of chondroitin, or the therapy of the combination conferred no advantage in patients with smooth osteoartritis of the knee. The observed advantage of the therapy combined in the sub-group with moderate-to-severe symptoms is provocative and deserves additional study. A editorialista skirts several warnings on this study and questions if the results for hydrochlorate of glucosamine (used in this study) can be extrapolated to sulphate of glucosamine (used in many put products). Another report on the effect of these supplements in the radiográfica progression delay.