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The findings were published alongside an analysis of medical records collected between 2012 and 2024 from the University of Florida health system, which included tens of thousands of patients with varying degrees of cognitive decline.<\/p>\n
Glucosamine is a substance found naturally in the body and plays an important role in building cartilage in the joints. Millions of people take it as a dietary supplement to ease joint pain and symptoms of osteoarthritis. Despite its popularity, scientists remain divided over how effective it is, and studies over the years have produced mixed findings on whether it reduces pain or improves function.<\/p>\n
Alzheimer\u2019s disease is a degenerative brain disease marked by a gradual decline in memory and cognitive abilities. Despite decades of research, the precise mechanisms that drive its progression are still not fully understood.<\/p>\n
In the new study, researchers focused on a biological process called glycosylation, in which sugar molecules attach to proteins. It is a normal and essential cellular process, but the researchers found that in the brains of Alzheimer\u2019s patients, it appears to occur at unusually high levels, a state they described as hyperglycosylation.<\/p>\n
By combining metabolic tests, analysis of human brain tissue after death and mouse models of Alzheimer\u2019s disease, the researchers found that glycosylation levels in the brain rise as the disease progresses. According to the study, the process appears to stem from increased production of sugar molecules involved in building glycans, rather than from slower breakdown.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlzheimer\u2019s disease is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline,\u201d the researchers wrote. \u201cOur findings indicate that hyperglycosylation is an active driver of disease development, not merely a byproduct.\u201d<\/p>\n
To examine whether there could be a causal link between glucosamine and the process they identified in the brain, the researchers gave glucosamine to mice with Alzheimer\u2019s at a dose calculated to be equivalent to a common therapeutic dose in humans. After just two weeks, glycosylation levels in the mice\u2019s brains increased. The mice also performed worse on tests of memory and social behavior.<\/p>\n
By contrast, when the researchers experimentally reduced activity in the glycosylation pathway in the brain, glycosylation levels fell and the mice\u2019s cognitive performance improved. According to the researchers, these findings strengthen the possibility that increased glycosylation itself contributes to cognitive impairment.<\/p>\n
To examine whether the findings seen in mice might also be relevant to humans, the researchers analyzed a large database of medical records from the University of Florida health system. They identified 24,481 patients with dementia and 41,884 patients with mild cognitive impairment. In both groups, about 8% of patients were documented as regular glucosamine users.<\/p>\n
The analysis found that among people with mild cognitive impairment, glucosamine users had a 25% higher risk of progressing to dementia. Among patients already diagnosed with dementia, use of the supplement was linked to a 25% higher risk of death during the follow-up period. However, among people with mild cognitive impairment, glucosamine use was not linked to a higher risk of death.<\/p>\n
Dr. Polina Spector, a neurologist and coordinator of the neurocognitive field at Carmel Medical Center, part of Clalit Health Services, stressed that the findings should be interpreted cautiously.<\/p>\n
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