CARSON, Calif., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Results of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study published in the February 23rd issue of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) found that taking popular nutritional supplements, glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in combination, is more effective than pain medication, Celebrex(R), in treating moderate to severe osteoarthritis knee pain. For the 21 million Americans suffering from osteoarthritis, the results provide hope to osteoarthritis sufferers in search of pain relief and alternate options to expensive pain medications.
The Glucosamine/Chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT) evaluated the safety and efficacy of glucosamine and chondroitin taken alone or in combination, as compared to Celebrex, in reducing knee pain associated with osteoarthritis. While the study concluded that glucosamine and chondroitin alone or in combination did not reduce pain effectively in patients with mild knee pain, a sub-analysis of the study found that 79.2 percent of patients with moderate to severe osteoarthritis experienced a significant decrease in pain with the glucosamine/chondroitin combination, as compared to 69.4 percent of those taking Celebrex.
“This study provides patients with a convenient alternative to expensive pain medications. Glucosamine and chondroitin have fewer gastrointestinal side effects than non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs,” said C. Thomas Vangsness, Jr., MD, Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. “These popular supplements are the most widely used for the treatment of osteoarthritis and can be purchased over the counter from the nation’s leading retailers.”
Funded by the NIH, the $14 million GAIT study is the largest placebo- controlled, double-blind, clinical trial ever conducted to test the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin. All 1,258 patients who completed the study were over the age of 40 with knee pain and randomly assigned placebo; glucosamine 1500 mg; chondroitin 1200 mg; both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate at above mentioned doses; or celecoxib (Celebrex) 200 mg daily for 6 months.
Naturally occurring in the body, glucosamine stimulates the production of cartilage, the connective tissue which cushions joints. Chondroitin sulfate is also naturally occurring in the body and like glucosamine, stimulates the production of cartilage. Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are the most widely used dietary supplements to treat osteoarthritis pain.(i) Widely used in Europe for years to treat osteoarthritis, glucosamine and chondroitin have been found to be safe and effective.
With 1 in 3 Americans (nearly 70 million) living with some form of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common form of the disease in the United States. According to NEJM, in 2004, the estimated direct and indirect medical costs associated with all forms of arthritis exceeded $86 billion.
Over the counter glucosamine and chondroitin are more affordable than expensive pain medications and can be found at the nation’s leading retailers, such as Costco, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart. Store brand nutritional supplements offer consumers the highest quality product at the best value. On average, double strength glucosamine (500 mg)/chondroitin (400 mg) sells for 35% less than brand name double strength glucosamine/chondroitin products and triple strength glucosamine (750 mg)/chondroitin (600 mg) sells for about 15% less than higher priced brands.
About Leiner Health Products (http://www.leiner.com)
Founded in 1973, Leiner Health Products, headquartered in Carson, California, is America’s largest manufacturer of store brand vitamins, minerals, and supplements. The company also is a leading store brand supplier in the rapidly growing over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceutical market. Selling products exclusively to the nation’s leading retailers, Leiner provides the nation’s leading food, drug, mass, and club store merchants with over 3,000 products, creating extraordinary, high-quality store brands at a great value. Leiner markets a full line of vitamins, minerals and supplements under its YourLife(R) brand, which is the leading brand worldwide in the US military. The company also markets OTC drugs under its Pharmacist’s Formula(R) brand. In 2004, Leiner produced 29 billion doses.
(i) New England Journal of Medicine; February 23, 2006; 354;8; p. 806.
Leiner Health Products
CONTACT: Taryn Green, +1-202-261-2860, for Leiner Health Products
Web site: http://www.leiner.com/
