Rafi Abd Al-Majeed Al-Razzuqi and Ali Awad Al-Jeboori

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq

Abstract:

Many studies have examined the therapeutic effects of glucosamine and chondroitin in relieving joint pains, but they did not determine any abnormal pharmacodynamic interactions. To determine the relationship between glucosamine-chondroitin supplement and occurrence of hyperglycemia in normoglycemic patients with family history of diabetes mellitus. 84.9% normoglycemic patients with family history of diabetes became hyperglycemic after 8 weeks course of glucosamine-chondroitin supplement ingestion. Patients who had diabetic female relatives were at risk and they represented 92.3%. When hypoglycemic agents were used, hyperglycemic patients with diabetic male relatives rapidly became normoglycemic at the end of 2nd post treatment week and they represented 83.3% of hyperglycemic patients. Only 2.5% resisted treatment. Glucosamine-chondroitin supplement, although has few side effects, it should be used with great caution in normoglycemic patients with family history of diabetes mellitus and especially those who had diabetic female relatives.