Dietary Supplements Cause 23000 ER Visits A Year, Says CDC

Based on 3,667 cases, the researchers estimated that there were 23,005 emergency department visits per year attributable to dietary-supplement-related adverse events, which resulted in an estimated 2,154 hospitalizations per year.

More than half of emergency department visits due to supplements involved female patients, and weight loss and energy products were responsible in more than half the visits for patients 5-34 years old.

Heart symptoms were the chief complaint in 43 per cent of people taking weight-loss products, 46 per cent of patients taking energy products, 50 per cent taking body-building products and 37 per cent taking sexual-enhancement products. The new study found that cardiovascular problems were even more commonly associated with weight-loss and energy supplements than prescription stimulants such as amphetamine and Adderall, which must carry warnings about their potential to cause cardiac side effects.

According to a recent report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA, dietary supplement abuse lands thousands in the ER every year.

In response to the report, the supplement trade organization Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) released a statement, writing: “The results of this study reinforce that dietary supplements are safe products, particularly when put into context with the number of people-over 150 million Americans-who take dietary supplements every year…However, we do appreciate the elements of this study that present reasonable takeaways for the industry, and are pleased to confirm that companies are already responding to many of these suggestions made by the study authors”.

Numerous patients were unsupervised children under 5.

As for those who now have dietary supplements at home, it would be best to store them at a high and secure place to make sure that they can not be reached by children.

Geller said consumers should take basic precautions with supplements.

Cohen was referring to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, a 1994 law that defined supplements as food rather than drugs. But this is the first study to look systematically at side effects. Exercise and a sensible diet are always the recommended options for losing weight by doctors, dietitians, and professional trainers.

“Now that we have the data, it should be a game-changer”, Cohen said, calling on the FDA and Congress to step up regulation of dietary supplements.

The FDA’s hands-off approach extends to the packaging of dietary supplements. “Some dietary supplements may have benefits, but there are risks which are not the same among any two dietary supplements”. The bill would also require retailers to move the products from open shelves to behind the counter.

Younger adults taking merchandise to drop extra pounds or enhance vitality ought to remember the fact that a few of these merchandise can have an affect on their coronary heart, and they need to not take these merchandise in extra.

Young adults were involved in 28 percent of the cases of negative reactions to dietary supplements.

Study Rundown: Dietary supplements such as herbal, complementary nutritionals, and micronutrients are often consumed by patients to address symptoms or illness, or improve overall health.

Now that a few of the at-risk groups have been identified, the next steps will be to focus on prevention efforts that can reduce the number of harmful effects from dietary supplements, Geller said.