Habitual glucosamine use and mortality risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prospective study

Mengyang Xia; Rui Li; Yuxiang Wang; Shenfa Wang; Sen Liu; Tianyu Guo; Jinchi Xie; Hancheng Yu; Jijuan Zhang; Gang Liu; An Pan

doi:10.59717/j.xinn-nutri.2026.100028

The Innovation Nutrition > 2026 Vol. 1 > No. 2 > 100028

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Habitual glucosamine use and mortality risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prospective study

1.
Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
2.
Hubei Key Laboratory of Food Nutrition and Safety, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
3.
Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
4.
These authors contributed equally to this work

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Corresponding authors: panan@hust.edu.cn (A.P.); liugang026@hust.edu.cn (G.L.)
Received Date: April 17, 2026

Accepted Date: July 15, 2026

Published Online: July 26, 2026

The Innovation Nutrition 1(2), https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-nutri.2026.100028 | Cite this article

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PUBLIC SUMMARY

PUBLIC SUMMARY
1. Habitual glucosamine use was associated with lower mortality risks among individuals with type 2 diabetes.
  
  The associations were generally similar across diabetes-related factors, demographic, and lifestyle subgroups.
  
  Blood biomarkers of inflammation, kidney and liver function, and lipids may partly explain these associations.

ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT

Glucosamine is a commonly used supplement, but concerns persist regarding its use in individuals with diabetes. This study aimed to examine the association of habitual glucosamine use with risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality among individuals with type 2 diabetes, and to explore the potential mediating role of blood biomarkers in these associations. We included 19125 participants with type 2 diabetes from the UK Biobank who provided self-reported information on glucosamine use at baseline. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the associations, with results presented as hazard ratios (HRs) and its 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Mediation analyses were conducted to estimate the extent to which selected blood biomarkers may be involved in these associations. Over a median follow-up of 13.5 years, 3045 deaths were recorded, including 1095 cancer deaths and 741 cardiovascular deaths. In multivariable-adjusted analyses, glucosamine use was associated with lower risks of all-cause, cancer, and cardiovascular mortality, with HRs (95% CIs) of 0.77 (0.68, 0.86), 0.82 (0.68, 0.99), and 0.73 (0.57, 0.94), respectively. These associations were generally consistent across several subgroups, including diabetes-related factors, demographic characteristics, lifestyle, medication use and health conditions. Furthermore, blood biomarkers (such as cystatin C, alkaline phosphatase, and C-reactive protein) explained 13.61% (95% CI, 8.26, 34.14) of the association between glucosamine use and all-cause mortality. Our findings suggest that glucosamine use was inversely associated with mortality in individuals with type 2 diabetes, with several blood biomarkers partly explaining this association; however, clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.
- type 2 diabetes /
- cohort study /
- glucosamine /
- prospective study

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Xia M., Li R., Wang Y., et al. (2026). Habitual glucosamine use and mortality risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prospective study. The Innovation Nutrition 1:100028. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-nutri.2026.100028

Xia M., Li R., Wang Y., et al. (2026). Habitual glucosamine use and mortality risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prospective study. The Innovation Nutrition 1:100028. https://doi.org/10.59717/j.xinn-nutri.2026.100028

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Habitual glucosamine use and mortality risk among individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prospective study

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

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