Double-blind comparative clinical trial with S-adenosylmethionine and indomethacin in the treatment of osteoarthritis

Abstract

In a randomized double-blind study, 36 patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, hip, and/or spine were treated orally with a daily dose of S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe)(1,200 mg) or indomethacin (150 mg) over a period of four weeks. Pretreatment and posttreatment clinical parameters were determined and assessed according to a standard scoring system. SAMe therapy significantly improved the total score obtained by the sum of all clinical findings, as compared with pretreatment values. Similar improvement was evident in indomethacin-treated subjects. Two patients in the SAMe group reported slight nausea after two weeks of therapy, whereas adverse effects developed in seven patients in the indomethacin group.