Chondroitin sulfate glycosaminoglycans are two-sugar repeating polymers that display diverse sulfation patterns in vivo.
For the 1st time, chondroitin sulfate has been more successful than celecoxib in reducing the long-term progression of knee osteoarthritis (OA), according to new research findings. Chondroitin sulfate, more commonly called chondroitin, has long been the subject of debate when it comes to its usefulness in treating OA. Canadian researchers recently explored how this treatment would affect how OA progresses as well as how it compared to celecoxib (Celebrex®).
“We felt the present study was necessary in order to establish – using the most recent imaging technology available, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (qMRI) – whether chondroitin sulfate can truly and effectively reduce the progression of the disease in patients suffering from knee OA,” says Prof. Jean-Pierre Pelletier, MD
Dr. Pelletier’s team studied 194 people with knee OA and inflammation of the synovial membrane in the knee. The participants were followed for 2 years and were divided into 2 groups. The 1st group took 1200mg (pharmacological preparation) of chondroitin daily, and the 2nd group took 200mg celecoxib/d.
After initial evaluation,researchers followed up with participants again at 1 and 2 years to look at a number of factors that would indicate the effectiveness of chondroitin. At all 3 touchpoints with the participants, the researchers performed MRIs to detect loss of cartilage, changes in bone marrow legions, and thickening of the synovial membrane in the knee. Additionally, patients were evaluated for swelling and fluid in the knee and their overall symptoms.
At both 1 and 2 years, they found a better reduction of cartilage loss in the whole knee, and more particularly in the inner half, of the participants on chondroitin when compared to those on celecoxib + decrease in synovial membrane thickness in some of the participants on chondroitin, showing far better results for this group. “These findings are most important as they demonstrate that chondroitin, in contrast to celecoxib, can reduce the loss of cartilage, at least in part, by reducing synovial inflammation (thickness),” Dr. Pelletier says.
Both groups noticed a marked reduction in swelling and fluid in the knee in a large number of patients. Both groups also showed a similar effectiveness at reducing OA symptoms over the course of the study. Finally, both groups were able to reduce the amount of acetaminophen they took each day.
“This study demonstrates that both chondroitin sulfate and celecoxib are equally effective at reducing the symptoms of knee OA patients. However, only chondroitin sulfate was found to be capable of slowing down the progression of the disease by reducing the loss of cartilage,” Dr. Pelletier remarks, while also noting further studies to establish the effect of chondroitin in other joints could be of interest.
While these results are promising, Dr. Pelletier would like to point out that the study only used pharmaceutical-grade chondroitin, and results may not be similar for all chondroitin products such as food supplements. Therefore, he recommends that patients consult with their physicians on the use of such treatment for OA. http://www.newswise.com/articles/chondroitin-outperforms-celecoxib-in-knee-osteoarthritis-study
Recent Comments