Glucosamine and Chondroitin in Osteoarthritis
Gerlie C. de los Reyes, BSc, MSc
Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Robert T. Koda, PharmD
Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
Eric J. Lien, PhD
Department of Pharmaceutical
Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, U.S.A.
"Medicine provides the means to treat diseases. Knowledge is the foundation of good health." E. J. Lien
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disease that is estimated to affect almost 5 million Canadians (16% of the population) by the year 2016.1 This degenerative disorder is one of the primary causes of pain and long-term disability in the elderly. The disease is characterized by the progressive deterioration of the articular cartilage, the protective "cushion" at the articulating surfaces of bones. This degenerative process is caused primarily by a defect in the metabolism of the component macromolecules including proteoglycans (aggrecans) and type II collagen.
The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin, ibuprofen, indomethacin and piroxicam are the most widely used medications for the treatment of patients with symptomatic OA.
