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Glucosamine and chondroitin Research
Glucosamine is a popular over-the-counter supplement that appeals to older people suffering with arthritic pain and sports enthusiasts.
Users typically suffer chronic pain caused by joint trauma (meniscal tears or other knee dam- age) and also those who expose their knees to po- tential risk who wish to reduce or avoid joint dam- For More Information About the Study
What is the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Glucosamine and chondroitin are frequently used in combination are on the “alternative” GAIT is the first large-scale, multicenter clini- medications list, as there was no conclusive evi- cal trial in the United States to test the effects of dence that it works. At the end of 2005 a US gov- the dietary supplements glucosamine hydrochlo- ernment research team announced the results of ride (glucosamine) and sodium chondroitin sulfate a huge controlled trial undertaken in 2000.
(chondroitin sulfate) for the treatment of knee os- teoarthritis. The study tested whether glucosa- The answers about glucosamine are contained mine and chondroitin sulfate used separately or in in the study posted by the National Institutes of combination reduced pain in participants with Health, The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) web site: http://nccam.nih.gov/research/results/gait/qa.htm
The University of Utah, School of Medicine co- ordinated this study, which was conducted at 16 Questions and Answers: NIH Glucosa-
rheumatology research centers across the United mine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial
States. The National Center for Complementary Primary Study
and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the Na- tional Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), two components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), funded What was the purpose of the study?
Previous studies in the medical literature had conflicting results on the effectiveness of glucosa- mine and chondroitin sulfate as treatments for osteoarthritis. GAIT was designed to test the short-term (6 months) effectiveness of glucosa- mine and chondroitin sulfate in reducing pain in a large number of participants with knee os- What doses were used for the varioustreatments? The basic design of the study -
In GAIT, participants were randomly assigned (3) glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in (5) a placebo (an inactive substance that looks How many people participated in the studyand who were they? Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate and their Were there any side effects from the treat- combination were compared with a placebo to evaluate whether these substances significantly improve joint pain. Celecoxib, which is a prescrip- tion drug effective in managing osteoarthritis pain, Should people with osteoarthritis use glu- was also compared with placebo to validate the To reduce the chance of biased results, the study was double-blinded—neither the research- ers nor the participants knew which of the five treatment groups the participants were in. Partici- pants received treatment for 24 weeks.
Participants were evaluated at the start of the study and at weeks 4, 8, 16, and 24 and closely monitored for improvement of their symptoms as well as for any possible adverse reactions to the study agents. X-rays documented each partici- Participants were also stratified into two pain subgroups— 1,229 participants (78 percent) with mild pain and 354 participants (22 percent) with A positive response to treatment was defined as a 20 percent or greater reduction in pain at week 24 compared to the start of the study. All participants had the option to use up to 4000 mg of acetaminophen, as needed, to control pain from osteoarthritis throughout the study, except for the 24 hours prior to having their knee assessed.
Acetaminophen use was low: on average, par- ticipants used fewer than two 500 mg tablets per What did GAIT cost?
The primary GAIT study cost just over $12.5 Study Background
What is osteoarthritis?
An estimated 27 million adults in the United States live with osteoarthritis—the most common type of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, also called degen- erative joint disease, is caused by the breakdown of cartilage, which is the connective tissue that cushions the ends of bones within the joint.
Osteoarthritis is characterized by pain, joint damage, and limited motion. The disease generally occurs late in life, and most commonly affects the hands and large weight-bearing joints, such as the knees. Age, female gender, and obesity are risk Image provided by the National Institute of Arthri- tis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Illustrations of a Joint with Osteoarthritis and a What are glucosamine and chondroitin sul-
natural substances found in and around the cells of cartilage. Glucosamine is an amino sugar that the body produces and distributes in cartilage and other connective tissue, and chondroitin sulfate is a complex carbohydrate that helps cartilage retain In the United States, glucosamine and chon- droitin sulfate are sold as dietary supplements, which are regulated as foods rather than drugs.
What is celecoxib?
Celecoxib (brand name Celebrex) is a type of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), called a COX-2 inhibitor. Like traditional NSAIDs, celecoxib blocks the COX-2 enzyme in the body Unlike traditional NSAIDs, however, celecoxib does not block the action of COX-1 enzyme, which is known to protect the stomach lining. As a re- sult, celecoxib reduces joint pain and inflamma- tion with reduced risk of gastrointestinal ulcera- Recent reports have linked possible cardiovas- cular side effects to COX-2 inhibitors. Although GAIT was not designed to study the safety of cele- coxib, participants were monitored for adverse events and no increase in such side effects was What doses were used for the various treat-
doses seen in the prevailing scientific literature: Glucosamine alone: 1500 mg daily given as Glucosamine plus chondroitin sulfate com- to take up to 4000 mg (500 mg tablets) per day to control pain, except for the 24 hours Who provided the source materials for making
the glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate
products used in GAIT?
Pfanstiehl Laboratories, Inc., Waukegan, IL, The study agents were manufactured by Albu- querque Veterans Affairs (VA) Cooperative Studies Where did the other study products come
Celecoxib was purchased from Pfizer.

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