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The NHS has given its verdict on claims that a popular joint pain supplement could help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems developing in the body.

Researchers from Tulane University in the US recently suggested that food supplement glucosamine could help to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

The research, which was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, involved almost half a million British participants who were all aged between 40 and 69 and had no history of cardiovascular conditions.

The participants, some of whom were taking the supplement, were studied over the course of 7 years - with changes in their lifestyle and any deaths recorded by researchers.

It has since attracted significant media attention in the UK, leading the NHS to share its own thoughts on the conclusions.

So what did the new study actually involve? And how has the health provider interpreted the results?

What is glucosamine?

(Image: Getty Images)

Glucosamine is a food supplement taken to reduce symptoms of joint pain and stiffness.

It is believed to reduce inflammation, which is a factor in the development of heart disease.

Although once prescribed on the NHS for conditions such as osteoarthritis, this is no longer the case due to a lack of evidence that it works.

Such supplements are typically expensive so experts recommend they shouldn't be routinely offered.

What was the new study?

(Image: Burton Mail)

The research was a cohort study which essentially monitors patterns - in this case glucosamine use and cardiovascular disease.

It used data from an ongoing UK Biobank study, which involved 500,000 adult volunteers from across the UK and tracked any changes in lifestyle, fitness and health.

Researchers of the new study used data on 466,039 of those volunteers, none of whom had cardiovascular disease at the start of the study.

Participants answered questions about their use of glucosamine - if any - and were followed up for 7 years.

The study aimed to use the data to uncover whether there was an increased or lowered risk of heart attack or stroke due to use of the supplement.

This included taking account of a wide range of potential influencing factors, such as age, smoking intake and body mass index.

What were the results?

(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)

Almost 20% of participants in the study, aged 40 to 69, took glucosamine - primarily identifiable as women, older, non-smokers and more physically active.

During the 7 years of follow-up, 10,204 participants overall had a heart attack or stroke (2.2%), though broken down figures show a slight difference for glucosamine use.

Whilst 2.2% of those who didn't take the supplement had such cardiovascular issues, a slightly lower 2.0% of those who did take it didn't.

After taking account of possible influencing factors, researchers found that those who took glucosamine were 15% less likely to experience such issues.

The study also revealed that 0.7% of those who did not take the supplement died from cardiovascular problems, compared to 5% of those who did use glucosamine.

Altogether, this represents a 22% reduced risk of dying from a heart attack or stroke for people who took glucosamine, the researchers said.

They concluded that "habitual use of glucosamine supplement to relieve osteoarthritis pain might also be related to lower risks of CVD (cardiovascular disease) events."

They said further clinical trials were needed to fully test this hypothesis though.

What has the NHS said?

(Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire)

The NHS said that headlines suggesting the supplement can significantly reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems are "attractive" but don't appropriately reflect the small difference.

It said that a cohort study like this cannot prove that glucosamine was the cause of such results.

Researchers did not collect additional relevant information, the NHS explained, such as how long participants took glucosamine or the dosage.

The NHS added that the change in risk is "quite small" and is lower than if participants had given up smoking for example - which reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems by 24%.

It reminded that the best way to reduce the risk of having a heart attack or stroke remains to "concentrate on living a healthy lifestyle," - including regular exercise - rather than paying for glucosamine supplements.