Osteoarthritis: Current estimations suggest that 40 million Americans of all ages are affected by osteoarthritis and that 70 to 90 percent of Americans older than 75 years have at least one involved joint.[7] People who are overweight, athletes and people with a family history of arthritis are at a greater risk for developing arthritis or other related problems. These people may also benefit from taking additional oral glucosamine.

The successful treatment of osteoarthritis must effectively control pain and should slow or reverse the progression of the degeneration. Arthritis is seen as a disease that cannot be cured, but must instead be managed. Most treatment programs include a combination of medication, exercise, rest, use of heat and cold, joint protection techniques and sometimes surgery. Unfortunately, these traditional treatments for arthritis, including acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and steroids all have potentially serious side effects and do not slow or deter the progression of the disease. An estimated 40 million Americans--one in seven people--suffer from some form of arthritis in which the joints become inflamed, enlarged and swollen, and ligaments and muscles around the joints lose tone and flexibility.

Glucosamine research, including biochemical and pharmacological data have demonstrated that glucosamine sulfate is capable of relieving pain and slowing the progress of the disease, sometimes halting or reversing joint degeneration.[8] In studies comparing arthritic patients treated with glucosamine with patients who were given ibuprofen, a standard pain-management treatment, those patients who had received glucosamine had a greater reduction of symptoms, and longer lasting benefits after treatment had been discontinued. Glucosamine was better tolerated in these patients, and patients who were given glucosamine sulfate enjoyed the benefits of treatment for a longer period of time after treatment had been discontinued.[9] Clinical studies on glucosamine and arthritis have demonstrated that long-term treatment with glucosamine sulfate slowed the progression of knee osteoarthritis, allowing patients to reduce the symptoms of their arthritis by as much as 25%.[10] In a double blind, controlled clinical study involving 606 subjects, Glucosamine was shown to be as effective, with much fewer negative reactions, as ibuprofen for use in the elimination of pain and the restoration of joint mobility.[11]

To date, more research has been done using glucosamine tablets as supplements in animals than in humans. It is believed that much of this research is directly transferable to human medical treatment. All animals that have skeletons use glucosamine to maintain their bones and joints. The use of glucosamine for dogs, horses and other animals has long been an established as part of veterinary medicine. Liquid glucosamine supports the long-term joint and tissue health for animals just as it does for humans. Studies on horses have shown that glucosamine-HCl and chondroitin sulphate reduce or slow the deterioration of cartilage.[12]