WASHINGTON – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned the public Monday about the use of dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle gain.
According to the CDC, on September 9, 2013, the Hawaii Department of Health was notified of seven patients with severe acute hepatitis and fulminant liver failure of unknown etiology. Patients were previously healthy and sought medical care during May-September 2013. Clinicians reported that the seven patients had all used OxyELITE Pro, a dietary supplement marketed for weight loss and muscle gain, before illness onset. This report describes the outbreak investigation, which identified 29 patients with recent onset of acute hepatitis of unknown etiology who had recently used a dietary supplement for weight loss or muscle gain.
Clinicians evaluating patients with acute hepatitis should ask about consumption of dietary supplements as part of a comprehensive evaluation and should report patients meeting the case definition to the local or state health department as well as the FDA’s MedWatch program. Clinicians can discuss patient management options with a toxicologist by calling their local poison center at 1-800-222-1222.
Persons who use dietary supplements for weight loss or muscle gain should do so with caution and under a medical provider’s close supervision.