Glucosamine-containing supplement improves locomotor functions in subjects with knee pain a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

• Published in: Clinical interventions in aging Vol. 10; pp. 1743 - 1753
• Main Authors: Kanzaki, Noriyuki, Ono, Yoshiko, Shibata, Hiroshi, Moritani, Toshio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New Zealand Dove Medical Press Limited 01.01.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Dove Medical Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Antifungal agents; Arthritis; Causes of; Chondroitin Sulfates - therapeutic use; Collagen Type II - therapeutic use; Comparative analysis; Complications and side effects; Diet therapy; Dietary Supplements; Double-Blind Method; Double-blind studies; Female; Glucosamine; Glucosamine - therapeutic use; Humans; Imidazoles - therapeutic use; Japan; Knee; Knee pain; knee-extensor strength; Locomotion; locomotor functions; Male; Middle Aged; Original Research; Osteoarthritis; Pain - drug therapy; Pain Measurement; Physiological aspects; Quercetin - therapeutic use; quercetin glycosides; Range of Motion, Articular; Vitamin D; Vitamin D - therapeutic use; walking speed; Womens health; Japan; imidazole peptides; knee-extensor strength; quercetin glycosides; normal walking speed; vitamin D
• DOI: 10.2147/CIA.S93077
• ISSN: 1178-1998; 1176-9092

The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of a glucosamine-containing supplement to improve locomotor functions in subjects with knee pain. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group comparative study was conducted for 16 weeks in 100 Japanese subjects (age, 51.8±0.8 years) with knee pain. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of the two supplements containing 1) 1,200 mg of glucosamine hydrochloride, 60 mg of chondroitin sulfate, 45 mg of type II collagen peptides, 90 mg of quercetin glycosides, 10 mg of imidazole peptides, and 5 μg of vitamin D per day (GCQID group, n=50) or 2) a placebo (placebo group, n=50). Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure, visual analog scale score, normal walking speed, and knee-extensor strength were measured to evaluate the effects of the supplement on knee-joint functions and locomotor functions. In subjects eligible for efficacy assessment, there was no significant group × time interaction, and there were improvements in knee-joint functions and locomotor functions in both groups, but there was no significant difference between the groups. In subjects with mild-to-severe knee pain at baseline, knee-extensor strength at week 8 (104.6±5.0% body weight vs 92.3±5.5% body weight, P=0.030) and the change in normal walking speed at week 16 (0.11±0.03 m/s vs 0.05±0.02 m/s, P=0.038) were significantly greater in the GCQID group than in the placebo group. Further subgroup analysis based on Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grade showed that normal walking speed at week 16 (1.36±0.05 m/s vs 1.21±0.02 m/s, P<0.05) was significantly greater in the GCQID group than in the placebo group in subjects with K-L grade I. No adverse effect of treatment was identified in the safety assessment. In subjects with knee pain, GCQID supplementation was effective for relieving knee pain and improving locomotor functions.