Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UhNuAmT-254 Many Americans, some 20% of our friends and neighbors, take glucosamine for the pain and disability of arthritis.  Like many food supplements, we only know that it is probably safe.  No well-designed studies have proven that it works for joint problems.  One study of knee osteoarthritis published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a glucosamine-chondroitin combo pill to be no more effective than a sugar pill. Now a study from Tulane Public Health, the Harbin Medical University in China, and the Harvard School of Public Health shows that regular use of glucosamine use may actually protect you from cardiovascular disease. Some half million British participants were studied.  The data showed that those using glucosamine enjoyed an 18% reduction in coronary artery disease, a 12% reduction in death from cardiovascular disease, a 9% reduction in stroke.  The supplement works even better in smokers with a 37% lower risk of any cardiovascular disease. The exact mechan