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Many patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) take supplemental glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate, despite equivocal evidence of its effects on OA progression. Using data from a longitudinal study of patients with symptomatic radiographic knee OA, researchers examined the effects of glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate and those of standard analgesic agents or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on knee structural changes in 600 patients who were followed for 24 months and underwent serial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Subgroups were analyzed according to whether they were taking analgesics or NSAIDs and whether they were taking glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate.
During follow-up, patients who were taking analgesics or NSAIDs …