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GAIT TRIAL IS GOOD NEWS FOR OSTEOARTHRITIS SUFFERERSAt last science has delivered robust evidence to endorse the value of glucosamine and chondroitin for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) symptoms bringing hope to the millions of people who suffer most from this condition .
Described as ‘the most rigorous trial to date assessing the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin on knee pain associated with OA’, the GAIT study (Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial) has proved that these two supplements in combination are even more effective in treating moderate-to-severe OA knee pain than celecoxib (Celebrex), a COX-2 NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug). Says Dr Andrew Shao of the Council for Responsible Nutrition: “GAIT adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that shows the two supplements can safely alleviate pain from osteoarthritis. This rigorous clinical trial offers strong evidence that glucosamine and chondroitin can provide significant relief from knee pain for those who suffer the most from osteoarthritis.” These new findings follow an updated review of glucosamine from Bandolier, an independent journal about evidence-based healthcare written by Oxford scientists and considered the premier source of evidence-based healthcare information worldwide, which noted that findings have shown a clear disease-modifying effect, as well as showing improvements in pain and functioning and an absence of long-term harm.
Because manufacturers of health supplements do not ‘own’ their product in the way that a pharmaceutical company can patent a drug, trials on this scale are rarely conducted. (This is why the endorsement for cod liver oil - as a source of omega-3 fatty acids - from the University of Cardiff’s research came as such good news for people with OA.) The GAIT trial is another such welcome and much-needed investigation of supplements’ effectiveness. As GAIT compared health supplements with a leading NSAID, the findings are of particular interest. Useful Links |
In recent years, these two supplements have gained such a following that the US authorities have undertaken the largest-ever study on them and the results of the first phase, presented on November 14, 2005, at the Annual Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology in San Diego, California, have vindicated the faith so many arthritis sufferers have placed in them.
Full details of the study, led by Dr Daniel Clegg of the University of Utah, have been published in the 23 February issue of the New England Medical Journal, Volume 354:795-808 
Evidence for chondroitin in OA treatment has lagged behind glucosamine. However several small but well-designed double-blind clinical studies have shown positive benefits for the alleviation of knee arthritis compared with placebo treatment.