text_1: Study: Supplements do little to ease arthritis
text_2: This is a succint and fairly complete report on the results of a recent research study that found glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate ineffective in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The article failed to stress that the study looked only at the effect on OA of the knee and did not address OA affecting other joints. And while the study failed to demonstrate benefit in management of knee OA, the article included a quote from a patient who uses the supplements and believes they are effective (though whether the individual has knee OA is not clear). Thus the story seems to balance one individual anecdote against the weight of evidence from a study of 1,583 people. People with more severe pain from knee OA probably would want to know the type of chondroitin used in the study as it is not the most common form of the supplement available. It’s important that the story included comments from a journal editorial writer about limitations of the study.