Joint supplement may increase dementia risk by 25%, study finds

A recent study indicates that common joint health supplements could potentially increase the risk of dementia. Kidney specialist Dr. Chiang Shou-shan highlighted research suggesting that individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) who consume glucosamine supplements are more likely to progress to dementia compared to those who do not, with the risk potentially increasing by 25%.

The findings, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, are based on an extensive analysis of patient health records and advanced imaging studies of human brain tissue and Alzheimer's mouse models. Researchers utilized artificial intelligence to examine de-identified UF Health records collected between 2012 and 2024, focusing on patients diagnosed with dementia or MCI.

Among the patients studied, glucosamine use was relatively common. The analysis revealed that among patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, and those with MCI, approximately 8% reported taking glucosamine supplements. After accounting for factors like age and gender, the use of glucosamine was associated with a 25% increased likelihood of MCI patients developing dementia.

Furthermore, the study observed a similar 25% increase in the risk of mortality among individuals already diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias who were taking glucosamine. Researchers focused on glucosamine because it is a naturally occurring sugar molecule that can cross the blood-brain barrier. Once in the brain, it can participate in biochemical pathways that build complex sugar structures on proteins. Experiments with genetically modified mice also supported this hypothesis, showing that glucosamine significantly increased the binding of sugar molecules to proteins and worsened social memory in the mice.

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A study found that patients with mild cognitive impairment who took glucosamine supplements were more likely to develop dementia than those who did not, with the possibility increasing by 25%.