Study: Glucosamine Safe for Type 2 Diabetics With Osteoarthritis

Type 2 diabetics can take glucosamine supplements as a treatment for osteoarthritis without worrying that the over-the-counter pills will affect their blood sugar levels, according to reseachers at Wilford Hall Medical Center in Texas.

While glucosamine is increasingly used to treat osteoarthritis, some animal studies have suggested that high glucosamine levels can raise blood glucose levels.

But in their study in which elderly patients with type 2 diabetes received either daily doses of Cosamin DS or a placebo for 90 days, the researchers found that blood glucose levels were "were not significantly different between groups, nor were there any significant differences within groups before and after treatment.

"This study demonstrates that oral glucosamine supplementation does not result in clinically significant alterations in glucose metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus," the researchers reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

"Since patients with diabetes are at risk for toxic effects from some of the current treatments for osteoarthritis (NSAIDs in particular), glucosamine may provide a safe alternative treatment for these patients," the researchers added.

Other sources: Archives of Internal Medicine