Treating Osteoarthritis
Source: AAOS
An analysis of clinical trials on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate for treating osteoarthritis has shown that these compounds may have some efficacy against the symptoms of this form of arthritis.
The study, by Timothy E. McAlindon, DM, and colleagues at the Boston University School of Medicine, located 37 studies of the compounds in osteoarthritis by a thorough review of the scientific literature published over more than three decades. Of these, 15 trials published between 1980 and 1998 met their criteria: double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled trials that lasted four or more weeks, tested glucosamine or chondroitin for osteoarthritis of the knee or hip and reported data that the researchers could extract on the effect of treatment on osteoarthritis symptoms.