Chondroitin Glucosamine Brand Name– Glucosamine Chondroitin Complex
What is Chondroitin Glucosamine
Chondroitin and glucosamine are dietary supplements used together to help ease the symptoms of osteoarthritis (OA).
Products containing both supplements are promoted as cartilage matrix enhancers which are purported to help prevent the breakdown and promote the rebuilding of cartilage.
Glucosamine is one of several 6-carbon amino sugars found in the body and is a building block for glycosaminoglycans. Glycosaminoglycans, in turn, are found in many tissues, including cartilage. Chondroitin is a glycosaminoglycan and is a constituent of human cartilage and the cornea. Chondroitin is a much larger molecule than glucosamine.
Commercial chondroitin is derived from either natural sources such as shark and bovine cartilage or from synthetic production.
The bovine source of chondroitin is tracheal tissue which has been shown to be free of BSE, even in infected animals.
The World Health Organization classifies trachea as a class IV tissue which means that these tissues have no detectable BSE infectivity.
Although there is some logic for combining chondroitin and glucosamine, it is not clear if the combination is more effective than glucosamine alone for osteoarthritis.
Most data have come from trials of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, and have compared the supplements to treatment with NSAIDs, placebo or both; some trials have shown non-inferiority to celecoxib, but many trials have not lasted beyond 6 months.
Conflicting data regarding efficacy has led to some guidelines supporting positive statements in use, and others recommending against use in OA.
The American College of Rheumatology (2012) has recommended against use in OA due to the controversial efficacy of the supplements alone or in combination.
Despite conflicting data, many experts continue to be interested in chondroitin or glucosamine, alone or in combination, in the first-line treatment of osteoarthritis, due to the toxicities of traditional treatments such as non-steroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIDs), particularly in the aging population.
Indications
- osteoarthritis
For use as a cartilage matrix enhancer in patients with osteoarthritis
Side Effects
- abdominal pain
- alopecia
- anorexia
- constipation
- diarrhea
- drowsiness
- dyspepsia
- edema
- fatigue
- headache
- insomnia
- nausea
- palpitations
- pyrosis (heartburn)
- rash
- sinus tachycardia
- vomiting
Monitoring Parameters
- laboratory monitoring not necessary
Contraindications
- bovine protein hypersensitivity
- breast-feeding
- cardiac disease
- children
- diabetes mellitus
- driving or operating machinery
- GI disease
- hepatic disease
- pregnancy
- renal disease
- renal failure
- renal impairment
- sulfonamide hypersensitivity
Interactions
- Ethanol
- food
- Warfarin
