The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / Glucosamine Supplements Don’t Help Knee or Hip Arthritis Pain

Glucosamine Supplements Don’t Help Knee or Hip Arthritis Pain

August 10, 2017 • By Carolyn Crist

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

(Reuters Health)—Oral glucosamine has no more effect than placebo on joint pain, according to a new meta-analysis.

You Might Also Like
  • Placebo Outperforms Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee OA
  • Hip Exercises May Improve Walking, Pain with Knee Arthritis
  • Exercise Helps Manage Hip Osteoarthritis Pain
Also By This Author
  • People with Rheumatic Diseases Should Pay Extra Attention to Self-Care During COVID-19

The analysis of randomized controlled trials from which data have been made public found that at both three-month and 24-month follow-up points, the supplement had no effect on either hip or knee pain from arthritis.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Even sub-groups, such as patients with obesity or high inflammation, found no benefit with the supplements.

“Most recent guidelines conclude there is an overall lack of efficacy of glucosamine, however, we knew that osteoarthritis could affect subgroups differently,” said senior study author Sita Bierma-Zeinstra of Erasmus University Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The most recent report from the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics found that Americans spent nearly $13 billion in 2012 on natural product supplements, and glucosamine was one of the most popular.

The Osteoarthritis Research Society International and the U.S. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence recently issued guidance about the lack of evidence for glucosamine as a cure for joint pain.

“Before we threw the baby out with the bathwater, however, it was important to know whether different subgroups could have some effect,” Bierma-Zeinstra told Reuters Health by email.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The researchers analyzed data from randomized, controlled trials conducted between 1994 and 2014. Of the 21 studies they found on the subject, only six shared data through the OA Trial Bank, an international collection of data from trials conducted worldwide. None of the trials included in the analysis was funded by industry, the authors note.

Five of the trials, which altogether included more than 1,600 patients, compared glucosamine with a placebo. Five of the six studies investigated knee osteoarthritis, and one looked at hip osteoarthritis.

Overall, the effects of glucosamine and the placebo on pain and physical functioning didn’t differ, either in the short-term or at one or two years. The supplement was also no better than placebo among subgroups based on pain severity, severity of osteoarthritis, age, body mass index, gender or signs of inflammation.

“Of course, the most striking thing in this study is that when a commercial party funded the source, data sharing became difficult,” Bierma-Zeinstra said. “Open access to data from clinical studies, although propagated by many research organizations worldwide, is still far from common practice.”

In addition, the researchers found that data for a study published in 2006 was no longer available. Although data from older studies may disappear, that doesn’t often happen with recent ones, she added.

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Drug Updates Tagged With: glucosamine supplements, joint pain cure, oral glucosamine, Osteoarthritis Research Society International, U.S. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence

You Might Also Like:
  • Placebo Outperforms Glucosamine/Chondroitin Sulfate for Knee OA
  • Hip Exercises May Improve Walking, Pain with Knee Arthritis
  • Exercise Helps Manage Hip Osteoarthritis Pain
  • Knee Replacement May ‘Turn Back the Clock’ for Arthritis Pain

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)