To evaluate the real-world effectiveness and tolerability of prescription glucosamine sulfate (pGS) in reducing knee osteoarthritis (KOA) symptoms in a Filipino cohort.
Approach:
Study Design: An 8-week, pragmatic, open-label, multicenter study enrolling 281 Filipino adults with mild-to-moderate KOA.
Intervention: Participants received pGS 1,500 mg once daily, with outcomes assessed using WOMAC and VAS for pain at Weeks 4, 6, and 8.
Tolerability Assessment: Adverse events were monitored throughout the study.
Key Findings:
98.6% of participants completed the study.
Knee pain decreased significantly by Week 4 and continued through Week 8.
47.0% of patients achieved ≥50.0% pain reduction by Week 4.
WOMAC pain showed a least squares mean change of −11.96 by Week 8.
VAS pain decreased from 68.4 mm at baseline to 11.9 mm at Week 8.
98.78% of patients reported high treatment satisfaction at Week 8.
Adverse events occurred in 4.6% of patients, mostly mild.
245 (~88.0%) received pGS alone for the full period.
Interpretation:
Prescription glucosamine sulfate improved pain, stiffness, and function in Filipino patients with mild-to-moderate KOA, with good tolerability and high patient satisfaction.
Limitations:
The study was limited to a specific demographic (Filipino adults aged 50-70).
The follow-up period was only 8 weeks.
Conclusion:
Prescription glucosamine sulfate effectively improved KOA symptoms and was well tolerated in the study population.
