Issue 166 Item 13 Glucosamine Supplementation Does Not Impair Glucose Control

Glucosamine supplementation does not cause clinically significant changes in glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Glucosamine is increasingly used by type 2 diabetics and others to treat osteoarthritis, the authors explain, yet animal studies have shown that high glucosamine levels can raise plasma glucose levels. In the first placebo-controlled, double-blinded trial of its kind, Dr. Daren A. Scroggie from Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas and colleagues evaluated the effects of glucosamine supplementation on glycemic control in 34 mostly elderly patients with type 2 diabetes.

Mean hemoglobin A1c levels changed very little, the authors report, increasing from 6.43% to 6.50% in the glucosamine group and decreasing from 6.25% to 6.09% in the placebo group.

Statistical analysis confirmed the lack of significant differences in the hemoglobin A1c levels, the researchers note, and indicated that the study was large enough to detect differences between the groups of at least 0.3% and within the groups (before and after supplementation) of 0.15%.

Only one patient withdrew from the study due to a possible adverse effect from glucosamine (excessive flatus), the report indicates, and medical therapy did not change during the study period.

The typical oral doses of glucosamine are around 20 mg/kg per day, the investigators explain, whereas the doses used in animal studies ranged from 3283.2 mg/kg/day to 435,363 mg/kg/day.

"Since patients with diabetes are at risk for toxic effects from some of the current treatments for osteoarthritis (NSAIDs in particular)," the authors conclude, "glucosamine may provide a safe alternative treatment for these patients." Arch Intern Med 2003;163:1587-1590.

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FACT: How much exercise is required to reduce blood pressure in essential hypertensives?
In previously sedentary hypertensive subjects, clinically significant decreases in BP can be achieved with relatively modest increases in physical activity above sedentary levels and that the volume of exercise required to reduce BP may be relatively small that should be reasonably attainable by a sedentary hypertensive population. American Journal of Hypertension Volume 16, Issue 8 , August 2003, Pages 629-633