Glucosamine supplement may accelerate Alzheimer’s progression in cognitively impaired patients

A team led by Ramon Sun at the University of Florida analyzed thousands of patient records, laboratory mice, and human brain samples to explore how glucosamine influences dementia. The study, published in Nature Metabolism, reported that individuals with mild cognitive impairment who took glucosamine were 25% more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s disease, although their overall risk of death did not change. In contrast, patients already diagnosed with dementia who used the supplement experienced higher mortality than comparable non-users.

Examination of Alzheimer’s brain tissue revealed an overabundance of sugar chains on proteins involved in nerve-cell signaling, potentially impairing their function. Mouse experiments showed that glucosamine raised these sugar chains only in diseased brains, worsening memory performance, while healthy mice were unaffected. The authors note limitations of relying on medical records and stress that the results constitute a safety signal, not proof of causation, and recommend a double-blind clinical trial to verify the effects. They also advise anyone with cognitive impairment to discuss glucosamine use with a physician.