Low quality of evidence for glucosamine-based nutraceuticals in equine joint disease: review of in vivo studies.
Abstract: Nutraceuticals are increasingly applied to the management of equine arthritis and joint disease, particularly those based upon glucosamine and chondroitin sulphate. While the first report of using glucosamine in horses appeared more than 25 years ago, it was not until 1992 that isolated studies began to be reported. Since that time, 15 in vivo papers have been published in the equine literature, usually on products already commercially available and often seeking evidence for efficacy. These studies demonstrate an encouraging trend to manufacturers of these products investing in research, but most do not meet a quality standard that provides sufficient confidence in the results reported. This review discusses the entirety of published in vivo research on glucosamine-based nutraceuticals (GBN) for horses, including that on Cosequin, Cortaflex, Synequin, Sasha's EQ, Myristol, chondroitin sulphate, glucosamine sulphate and glucosamine hydrochloride; and considers experimental limitations of this research along with their impact on interpretation of results. A quality score was calculated for each paper according to preset quality criteria. A minimum quality standard of 60% was set as the threshold for confidence in interpretation of results. Of the 15 papers reviewed, only 3 met the minimum quality standard. Experimental limitations of each research paper are discussed. It is concluded that the quality of studies in this area is generally low, prohibiting meaningful interpretation of the reported results. New high quality research on GBN for horses is needed and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Publication Date: 2009-11-26 PubMed ID: 19927591DOI: 10.2746/042516409x424153Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Review
Summary
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This study evaluates the quality of existing research on the use of glucosamine-based nutraceuticals in treating joint disease in horses. The researchers found that a majority of the studies do not meet the sufficient quality standards to provide confidence in their results.
Overview and Assessment of Grading System
- The studies being reviewed here are ones that focus on the use of glucosamine-based nutraceuticals (GBN), a type of food additive believed to offer health benefits, for the treatment of joint disease in horses. Certain GBN products like Cosequin, Cortaflex, Synequin, Sasha’s EQ, Myristol, and others that contain glucosamine sulphate and glucosamine hydrochloride were analysed.
- The quality of these studies was assessed using a scoring system based on pre-determined quality criteria. A score of 60% or higher was set as the threshold for confidence in the results of the studies.
Analysis and Findings
- Out of the 15 in vivo papers that were identified and reviewed, only 3 met the minimum quality standard. This shows that the majority of the studies conducted so far do not provide reliable evidence for the efficacy of glucosamine-based nutraceuticals in treating joint disease in horses.
- The research paper also discusses the various experimental limitations of the individual studies that were analysed. These limitations significantly impact the interpretation and reliability of the results reported in those studies.
Conclusion and Recommendations
- The paper concludes that the overall quality of studies in this area is relatively low, which inhibits the interpretation of results and does not allow for a definite conclusion to be drawn about the effectiveness of GBN in treating equine joint disease.
- As a result, the researchers suggest that new, high-quality research is needed to validate the efficacy and safety of GBN for treating joint disease in horses. Furthermore, improvements in experimental design and methodology are recommended for future studies to enhance the quality of evidence produced in this area of research.
Cite This Article
APA
Pearson W, Lindinger M.
(2009).
Low quality of evidence for glucosamine-based nutraceuticals in equine joint disease: review of in vivo studies.
Equine Vet J, 41(7), 706-712.
https://doi.org/10.2746/042516409x424153 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Dietary Supplements
- Glucosamine / therapeutic use
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horses
- Joint Diseases / drug therapy
- Joint Diseases / veterinary
References
This article includes 30 references
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Murray JMD, Hanna E, Hastie P. Equine dietary supplements: an insight into their use and perceptions in the Irish equine industry. Ir Vet J 2018;71:4.
- van de Water E, Oosterlinck M, Dumoulin M, Korthagen NM, van Weeren PR, van den Broek J, Everts H, Pille F, van Doorn DA. The preventive effects of two nutraceuticals on experimentally induced acute synovitis. Equine Vet J 2017 Jul;49(4):532-538.
- Agar C, Gemmill R, Hollands T, Freeman SL. The use of nutritional supplements in dressage and eventing horses. Vet Rec Open 2016;3(1):e000154.
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