Glucosamine Chondroitin for Osteoarthritis

What are glucosamine and chondroitin?

Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are compounds that are thought to have a protective effect on the cartilage, as well as to help manage osteoarthritis, particularly of the knee. Currently there are still many controversies around the effectiveness glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate in actually preventing the degeneration of joint cartilage. In Europe, glucosamine is a prescription drug with a standardized formula. In the United States and some parts of Asia, glucosamine is sold over-the-counter as dietary supplements.

Both glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate are found in normal joint cartilage and synovial fluid. Researchers proposed that glucosamine may stimulate production of cartilage-building proteins. Glucosamine in supplements is extracted from animal tissues such as crab, lobster or shellfish and marketed as glucosamine sulfate or glucosamine hydrochloride. They are considered to be equally effective, but the hydrochloride form is absorbed more easily by the body and can be taken in lower dosage than glucosamine sulfate.

Chondroitin sulfate is part of a protein molecule that maintains cartilage elasticity and is also thought to have an anti-inflammatory effect. Chondroitin sulfate in supplements is extracted from animal cartilage such as trachea or shark cartilage.

Do glucosamine and chondroitin really work for osteoarthritis?

In reality, some studies have found that either glucosamine or chondroitin sulfate given together or separately may relieve osteoarthritis pain with fewer side effects than conventional arthritis drugs. However, there are also studies that have shown no benefit. Although currently positive reports outnumbered negative ones, the negative ones have been larger and better designed.

The largest clinical trial that studies the effect of glucosamine and chodroitin sulfate is the Glucosamine/chondroitin Arthritis Intervention Trial (GAIT), which is funded by the National Institutes of Health. In 2006, the researchers reported that glucosamine and chondroitin, alone or together, did not reduce osteoarthritis knee pain more effectively than a placebo. Follow up reports from this study also failed to show any promising result.

However, despite this discouraging result many people who take glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements did report subjective reduction in arthritis pain. There are preliminary reports that suggest addition of vitamin C, bromelain, or manganese may enhance the effectiveness of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate. And because these supplements are thought to have very few side effects, people keep taking them anyway.

Be wise if you decide to take glucosamine and chondroitin supplement.

Severe form of osteoarthritis may require surgery.

So, what to do? If you decide to try glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate supplements after all, give it three months time to evaluate their efficacy. The typical initial dose is 1500 mg of glucosamine and 1200 of chondroitin daily for 6 to 8 weeks. If a response is obtained, the dose can be reduced to 1000 mg of glucosamine and 800 of chondroitin or less. If you feel there is no change in symptoms after three months, these supplements should be discontinued.

If your symptoms are severe, you should stay on your usual arthritis medications even while you are taking glucosamine and chondroitin. As always, consult your physician before taking any form of supplements. Common side effects include stomach upset, gas, soft stools, drowsiness, headache, racing heart, and skin reactions. Patients with diabetes should pay extra caution because glucosamine is an amino sugar that may affect blood sugar levels. Also, because these supplements contain shellfish and other possible allergens, watch out for allergy symptoms.

Heart Disease Prevention

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. According to the American Heart Association, at least 58.8 million American suffer from heart disease of any form. Around 950.000 people die every year from cardiovascular causes. It is also a major cause of disability for the survivors. Even though increased age is a risk factor, it's a big misconception to think that heart disease only happens to the elderly. One out of every 20 people below the age of 40 has heart disease.

The good news is that there are many ways to prevent heart disease. Studies show that nearly everyone, even those with unmodifiable risk factors such as old age and racial background, can become more heart healthy by following a few key steps, such as eating a healthy diet, exercising, quitting smoking, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

Quit Smoking

Smoking or tobacco use is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Even occasional social smoking increases the chance of getting heart disease, as is exposure to second-hand smoke. Pipe smoking or using low-tar, low-nicotine products does not reduce the risk by much. However, when you quit smoking, your heart disease risk drops dramatically within just one year. No matter how long or how much you smoked, you'll start reaping rewards as soon as you quit.

Exercise regularly

Try getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week. You can break up your exercise time into three times 10 sessions. Casual activities such as gardening, housekeeping, and taking the stairs all count toward your total.

Eat a heart-healthy diet

Following the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan can help protect your heart. The diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy products. Limiting saturated and trans fat will also reduce your LDL cholesterol which plays an important role in the development of heart disease.

Omega-3 fatty acids is a type of polyunsaturated fat that decreases your risk of heart attack by lowering blood pressure and prevents irregular heart beats. Omega-3 is present in salmon, mackerel, flaxseed oil, soybean oil and canola oil. They can also be found in form of food supplements.

Moderate amount of alcohol, such as red wine can have a protective effect on your heart. Limit consumption to no more than two drinks a day for men, and one a day for women.

Maintain a healthy weight

As you put on weight in adulthood, your weight gain mostly consists of fat rather than muscle. Even a small weight loss can be beneficial. Reducing your weight by just 10% can decrease your blood pressure, lower your blood cholesterol level and reduce your risk of diabetes which in turn reduce your overall risk for cardiovascular diseases.

One way to see if your weight is healthy is to calculate your body mass index (BMI). If your BMI is 25 or higher, you have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. The BMI is a good, but imperfect guide. Muscle weighs more than fat, and women and men who are very muscular and physically fit can have high BMIs without added health risks. Because of that, waist circumference also is a useful tool to measure how much abdominal fat you have. Men are considered overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 40 inches (101 cm). Women are overweight if their waist measurement is greater than 35 inches (88 cm).

Regular screening for heart disease risk factors

Check your blood pressure at least every 2 years starting from 18 years old. Check your cholesterol level every 5 years (more frequently if you are at an increased risk for heart disease) starting from 20 years old. Check your blood sugar level every five years (more frequently if you have other risk factors such as obesity or high blood pressure) starting from age 30 years old.

Adult Vaccination At A Glance

The importance of vaccines.

Prevention is always the smarter and more cost-efficient step than treatment or rehabilitation. Vaccinations have saved the world from diseases like smallpox, polio, and diphteria. In fact, the reason why we never have to worry about most infectious diseases anymore is because we have developed an effective vaccine.

Vaccines give our immune system the opportunity to develop the tools to fight off the organism that causes a disease without having to suffer the disease itself. In this way vaccines are incredibly important for your personal health.

Influenza vaccine is given once every year.

 

Adults need vaccinations too.

Despite the success of vaccinations in children, many people still don't realize that vaccines work for adults too and the extent is not only limited to preventing infectious disease. For example, the HPV vaccine is proven to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer in women.

"It's never too late to get vaccinated."

The only reasons why you should not get vaccinations are if you are allergic to any component of the vaccine, has had a serious adverse reaction on previous vaccination, or if you suffer diseases that weakens your immune system.

One example of an important vaccine for adult is the influenza vaccine. It is recommended to be given once a year because the virus changes every so often every year. Therefore we have to retrain our immune system to fight it.

To learn more about other adult vaccinations such as tetanus, chickenpox, HPV, shingles, MMR, pneumonia, meningococcal, and hepatitis you can visit the CDC site and get a complete schedule. Or, you can consult your physician for the right vaccines for you.