Does Arthritis Supplement Glucosamine Hike Longevity?

An over-the-counter supplement designed to ease osteoarthritis prolonged the lifespan of lab mice by nearly a tenth, scientists said Tuesday.

This would translate into an average eight-year longevity gain if the result could be repeated in humans, Swiss researchers reported in the journal Nature Communications.

A team led by Michael Ristow at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich used a common dietary supplement called glucosamine on laboratory mice after testing it on worms.

Glucosamine is a naturally occurring compound found in the lubricating fluid which surrounds joints.

It is widely sold over the counter as a supplement to combat osteoarthritis, the commonest form of arthritis, although studies into its efficacy have thrown up mixed results.

Ristow's team first tested a tiny dose on a well-researched lab animal, a nematode worm called Caenorhabditis elegans, and found it extended its lifespan by some five percent.

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