Glucosamine has long been used as a supplement to help ease the joint pain of arthritis, but research suggests its anti-inflammatory properties might also lower heart disease risk.

According to a lifestyle survey involving more than 466,000 British men and women who had not been diagnosed with heart disease, taking the supplement was associated with a 15 percent lower risk for heart disease over a seven-year period.

Glucosamine was also tied to a drop of between 9 percent and 22 percent for experiencing coronary artery disease, stroke, and/or a heart disease-related death.

In the survey, respondents were asked to provide information on an array of lifestyle choices, including diet, medication use, alcohol habits, and smoking status. Age, gender, race, and household income were also factored into the equation.

Glucosamine’s association with diminished heart disease risk held up even after accounting for all such factors, the study authors said.