February 1, 2001 – In a potentially landmark study, a Belgian medical team has just demonstrated that glucosamine sulfate is capable of markedly slowing the progression of osteoarthritis.
Published in the January 27, 2001 edition of the famous British medical journal The Lancet, the randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was carried out in 212 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee over three years. Half of the group took a supplement of 1,500 mg of pure glucosamine sulfate daily and the other half took the placebo. After three years, the average knee joint thickness had decreased by 0.31 mm in the 106 patients in the placebo group while this decrease was only 0.06 mm in the experimental group, a measure considered to be “Not significant” by researchers.
This research is the first to show that treatment for osteoarthritis can do more than control the symptoms of the disease, as do pain relievers and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, which are still the only recognized medical treatments. There were already several short- and medium-term studies that demonstrated the positive effects of glucosamine sulfate on the symptoms of osteoarthritis (pain, inflammation) but none on its long-term effects on the disease process.
Available over the counter in North America and England, glucosamine sulfate is considered a drug in other European countries. According to an American commentator, this study risks calling into question the status of glucosamine sulfate as an over-the-counter product, or at the very least raising questions about the nature of the products currently available, which vary considerably in composition. Indeed, as the therapeutic efficacy of over-the-counter products is demonstrated, they acquire, in practice, the status of drugs and will therefore be subject to higher quality control requirements.
According to the researchers, the long-term effect of glucosamine sulfate on osteoarthritis symptoms and joint structure suggests that it may alter the course of the disease.
HealthPassport.net
Long-term effects of glucosamine sulphate on osteoarthritis progression: a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Jean Yves Reginster, Rita Deroisy, Lucio C Rovati, Richard L Lee, Eric Lejeune, Olivier Bruyere, Giampaolo Giacovelli, Yves Henrotin, Jane E Dacre, Christiane Gossett. Lancet 2001; 357: 251-56
