Government Report on SAM-e

Could your mood use a boost? Do you want to avoid taking prescription drugs? You might want to think about the supplement SAM-e.

In a recent government study SAM-e was found to be just as effective as prescription drugs for treating depression. It was found to be an effective treatment for the pain of osteoarthritis and may also help promote liver health.

The study supporting SAM-e was an Evidence Report Summary on the supplement, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). It was released in October of 2002.

"The Department of Health and Human Services hired an impeccable group of researchers to examine 102 clinical studies and determine whether or not SAM-e works...their results are quite compelling," said Hyla Cass, M.D., a Los Angeles-based clinical psychiatrist and UCLA assistant professor. Among the findings culled from 47 studies on the treatment of depression, the summary concluded that "compared to conventional antidepressant pharmacology, treatment with SAM-e was not associated with a statistically significant difference in outcomes."

SAM-e is an acronym for S-adenosyl-L-methionine, a natural compound found in every human cell and involved in over 35 biochemical processes in the body. Clinical research findings, as demonstrated in this Evidence Report summary, support SAM-e’s ability to relieve depression and osteoarthritis joint pain, as well as promoting liver health. SAM-e was officially introduced into the U.S. as a dietary supplement in 1998.

The Evidence Report on SAM-e is the result of more than three years of literature review and synthesis of evidence in 102 different human clinical studies of SAM-e, to determine its efficacy for treatment of depression, osteoarthritis and cholestasis of pregnancy and intrahepatic cholestasis associated with liver disease.

According to the summary, the objective of the Evidence Report was "to conduct a search of the published literature on the use of S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM-e) for the treatment of osteoarthritis, depression and liver disease...." The summary refers to the high annual costs - $43.7 to $52.9 billion - associated with treatment and lost wages for depression. It also states that an estimated 15 percent of Americans suffer from arthritis, and the annual cost to society is estimated at $95 billion. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis.

SAM-e was also found to offer effective relief from joint pain. The team examined 14 studies of osteoarthritis, which causes pain in the joints. The Evidence Report summary concludes that SAM-e appears to work as effectively as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) in treating osteoarthritis. More than 40 studies of liver disease were analyzed for the Evidence Report. The summary states that SAM-e may have an effect on intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. This condition occurs in 1 in 500-1,000 pregnancies.

The report’s summary recommends more studies on SAM-e in the area of liver disease as well as depression and osteoarthritis, to understand "the risk benefit ratio of SAM-e compared to conventional therapy, especially for depression and osteoarthritis."

If you are interested in learning more, you may view the SAM-e Evidence Report Summary by logging onto the Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research Quality web site at www.ahrq.gov/clinic/epcsums/samesum.htm.