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New NIH Study Confirms that Chondroitin and Glucosamine Are Effective Against Osteoarthritis

Information Released at ACR Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego

SAN DIEGO, CA -- November 16, 2005 -- The conclusion of the NIH (GAIT) Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial was that the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine is effective in treating moderate to severe knee pain due to ostearthritis.

The lack of response in patients with mild pain may be due to a floor effect, limiting ability to detect response. All study agents were well tolerated.

In his presentation today of the initial results, Dr. Daniel O. Clegg, the lead researcher in the study, indicated that while the supplements overall did not outperform the positive control, there were promising results in various sub-groups, however, he did not go into further detail at that time.

In the presentation Dr. Clegg mentioned that NIH selected Bioiberica's chondroitin, CSb(TM)Bio-Active, as the only chondroitin used in the study. NIH Study results will be discussed in detail by Dr. Clegg at a CME lunch symposium hosted by Bioiberica on Thursday November 17th, following the ACR meeting. The role of chondroitin sulfate and its mechanisms of action and clinical response in osteoarthritis will also be discussed at this symposium.

CSb(TM)Bio-Active is one of the most widely researched brands of chondroitin sulfate on the market. Numerous studies had shown that this natural substance is effective against osteoarthritis, which afflicts over 20 million Americans and can causes pain, stiffness, difficulty moving the afflicted joint, as well as other problems.

In the past, some members of the medical community had downplayed the effectiveness of chondroitin sulfate, arguing that these natural substances had not been confirmed by a large-scale American clinical trial. So the NIH sponsored the Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis

Intervention Trial -- called GAIT -- to test the effectiveness of chondroitin sulfate and another popular, non-drug remedy called glucosamine as treatments for osteoarthritis.

Twelve hundred and fifty-eight osteoarthritis patients completed this double-blind, placebo controlled study. All were 40 years of age or older and had been suffering from osteoarthritis for a mean of 10 years.

The researchers were primarily interested in seeing whether chondroitin and/or glucosamine would reduce WOMAC scores by at least 20%. The WOMAC scale is a commonly-used method of evaluating pain and difficulty performing daily activities. The higher the WOMAC score, the greater the pain.

The participants were divided into five different groups and given daily either 1,200mg of chondroitin sulfate, 1,500mg of glucosamine, chondroitin sulfate plus glucosamine, a positive control called Celecoxib, or a placebo.

The results were very encouraging. Chondroitin sulfate in combination with glucosamine, not only out-performed the placebo (25%) but also Celecoxib (10%) among those patients with moderate to severe knee pain due to osteoarthritis. These results validate all the previous studies and give a lot of hope to the millions suffering from osteoarthritis.


SOURCE: Bioiberica

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