Time to stop glucosamine and chondroitin for knee OA?
Prior studies provided conflicting results regarding the efficacy of these medications. This study offers evidence for discontinuing them.
PRACTICE CHANGER
Tell patients with moderately severe osteoarthritis to stop taking their glucosamine and chondroitin as it is less effective than placebo.1
STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATION
B: Based on single, good-quality randomized controlled trial.
Roman-Blas JA, Castañeda S, Sánchez-Pernaute O, et al. Combined treatment with chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate shows no superiority over placebo for reduction of joint pain and functional impairment in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a six-month multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2017;69:77-85.
CHALLENGES TO IMPLEMENTATION
An all-too-common product presents challenges
CS/GC is available over the counter and advertised directly to consumers. With this medication so readily available, identifying patients who are taking the supplement and encouraging discontinuation can be a challenge.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The PURLs Surveillance System was supported in part by Grant Number UL1RR024999 from the National Center For Research Resources, a Clinical Translational Science Award to the University of Chicago. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center For Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health.
