Efficacy and safety of curcumin and its combination with boswellic acid in osteoarthritis: a comparative, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Haroyan A, Mukuchyan V, Mkrtchyan N, Minasyan N, Gasparyan S, Sargsyan A, Narimanyan M, Hovhannisyan A · BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Against placebo, the curcumin-plus-boswellia arm separated on WOMAC total, the WOMAC pain index and all four physical performance tests. Curcumin alone separated on two of the four — the chair stand and the fast-paced walk — and on nothing else. Neither arm separated from placebo on WOMAC morning stiffness, WOMAC physical function, ESR or CRP. The two active arms were never compared with each other: every intergroup test reported is against placebo, and their effect sizes against placebo run close, with curcumin alone slightly ahead on the chair stand test (0.53 against 0.51).

Population

Adults aged 40-70 with osteoarthritis, Armenia (three-arm)

Intervention

CuraMed, one capsule of 500 mg curcuminoids, or Curamin, one capsule of 350 mg of the same curcumin extract plus 150 mg Boswellia serrata extract standardised to 75% boswellic acids; three times daily for 12 weeks

Comparator

Placebo

Limitations

Sponsored by EuroPharma, which markets both products; 12 weeks; 22 of the 201 randomised were lost to follow-up, and the physical performance analyses rest on the 149 to 178 who completed every test. The curcumin-alone arm missed the WOMAC pain endpoint.