Nutraceuticals for the treatment of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent human condition which is becoming an even greater health problem in an aging global population. Existing treatments for OA provide pain relief and some anti-inflammatory effects, but no truly disease-modifying treatments are available for this disease. Furthermore, the generally advanced age and frequent comorbid conditions present in OA patients limit safety of many available drugs. Treatments with enhanced safety margins and that offer chondroprotective effects are unmet needs. Nutraceuticals derived from foods and herbs have been long used in traditional medicine, and many have wide-ranging biologic effects suggesting novel mechanisms of action. Some of these have shown promise in controlled clinical trials in OA patients. Whether these approaches could offer safe symptom relief and possibly mediate beneficial joint remodeling in early OA are possibilities that merit further investigation.