Glucosamine and Heart Health

 

People have taken glucosamine supplements for years to lesson join pain. It is known to be safe and is moderately effective for arthritis pain. It also a general anti-inflammatory effect. And, thanks to a 2019 study published in the British Medical Journal, we can add an important new benefit to it's resume. The study's findings suggest suggest that glucosamine may have benefits in preventing cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, such as coronary heart disease and stroke.

Researchers led by Professor Lu Qi at Tulane University in New Orleans drew on data from the UK Biobank - a large population based study of more than half a million British men and women. They found that glucosamine use was associated with a 15% lower risk of total CVD events, and a 9% to 22% lower risk of CHD, stroke and CVD death compared with no use.

Several mechanisms may explain these results, say the study's authors. For example, regular use of glucosamine has been linked to a reduction in levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a chemical associated with inflammation. This may also help to explain the stronger association among smokers, who have higher levels of inflammation and higher risk of CVD than non-smokers.

Despite the large sample size, this is an observational study and, as such, can’t establish cause and effect. It is probably not worthwhile to start taking glucosamine if you are not already doing so but the use of glucosamine supplements to relieve osteoarthritis pain might also be related to lower risks of CVD events.