Bioiberica Release: Experts Found Evidence That The Most Commonly Prescribed Treatments For Osteoarthritis, Such As Anti-Inflammatory Drugs Or Acetaminophen, Have Limited Effectiveness And Considerable Secondary Effects

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New data presented during the symposium hosted by Bioiberica at the Osteoarthritis World Congress held by OARSI (Osteoarthritis Research Society International) during this past weekend in Seattle, USA, indicated that 37 percent of osteoarthritis patients who had endured prosthetic knee or hip surgery also suffered from another condition. More precisely, 50% of these patients have arterial hypertension and 11% suffer from diabetes. “We have seen that osteoarthritis is linked to, or causes, the onset of other severe conditions. This is why it is very important to prescribe an efficient, and above all, secure treatment”, explained Professor Nigel Arden, epidemiologist at the Oxford University (United Kingdom).

“We have seen that osteoarthritis is linked to, or causes, the onset of other severe conditions. This is why it is very important to prescribe an efficient, and above all, secure treatment”

In this regard, Professor Arden declared that “some of the most widely used treatments in osteoarthritis, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, acetaminophen or inhibitors of COX-II, have proven to have limited efficacy for the treatment of the osteoarthritis symptoms, as well as considerable secondary effects such as hepatic, gastrointestinal or cardiovascular problems. In fact, recent studies point out that the use of anti-inflammatory products over an extended period of time is associated with an increase in the risk of infarction”.

“A good option for these patients would be the so called cartilage protectors, such as chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine, which have an increasingly solid body of scientific evidence as well as an elevated safety profile”, explained Professor Allen Sawitzke, rheumatologist at the University of Utah (USA). Professor Sawitzke presented the results of the MOVES clinical trial, which were recently published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases journal. The main conclusion of this study is that the combination of chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine has an efficacy comparable to that of the anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib after six months of treatment of severe osteoarthritis, reducing in a clinically significant way pain, functional inability, stiffness, inflammation and joint effusion. “The main difference is that chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine have less secondary effects, are safer for patients, and, therefore, they can be administered on a regular basis”, added Professor Sawitzke.

Finally, they presented the Cochrane review on chondroitin sulfate published this year that evidenced that patients treated with chondroitin sulfate had a statistically significant, clinically relevant improvement compared to placebo in studies lasting less than six months.