BMJ  2006;332:536-537 (4 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7540.536

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Alison Tonks, associate editor

atonks@bmj.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

Americans with painful osteoarthritis spend an estimated $700 million a year on glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, hoping these dietary supplements will help their pain. The latest attempt at rigorous evaluation suggests they don't. In a large randomised trial (n = 1583), patients taking the supplements alone or in combination were no better after 24 weeks than patients taking placebo.


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To measure response, researchers looked for a 20% improvement in pain as measured by the WOMAC (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis) index. Response rates were 64% (203/317), 65% (208/318), 67% (211/317), and 60% (188/313) among patients taking glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, both, or placebo, respectively. A fifth group of patients who took celecoxib did significantly better than the placebo group, but only by a disappointing 10% (response rate 70% (223/318); P = 0.008).

There were hints that the combined supplements might work for people with . . . [Full text of this article]


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