Are Your Dietary Supplements Putting You at Risk?

Lamar Odom was hospitalized on Tuesday, October 13, 2015, after he was found unresponsive at a brothel in Nevada. Initial reports said that heavy use of sexual-performance supplements, and possibly cocaine, led to the incident. The next day, CBS News reported that there are more than 23,000 emergency room visits each year, as a result of complications from taking dietary supplements and about 2,154 of those visits result in hospitalizations, according to a study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). But the term, “supplements” is very broad and it is a narrow range of supplement types that cause the majority of adverse reactions.

Weight-Loss and Energy Products

It comes as no surprise that weight-loss and energy products were found to be particularly problematic, and that young adults made up a large portion of those affected by these products:

Overall, weight-loss and energy products were responsible for about 35% of adverse events
Nearly 72% of events involving chest pain, rapid heart rate, or heart palpitations were caused by weight-loss and energy products.
Of those events, 58% involved people between the ages of 20 and 34.

Choking Hazards for Older Adults

More than one-third of supplement-related emergency room visits by adults 65 and over were due to choking on pills. More than 80% of those events involved vitamins and minerals.

Choosing and Using Supplements with Care

About half of all adults in the U.S. take dietary supplements of some kind. Many do so under doctor supervision or on their doctor’s recommendation. Some are highly recommended for specific populations. For instance, prenatal vitamins are strongly recommended for women who are pregnant or trying to conceive.

But consumers should not assume that all supplements are safe and effective, just because they are available without a prescription. Nor should you assume that it is OK to exceed the recommended dose. And when you are considering supplements it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about the type of supplements you want to take, especially when they are for purposes such as weight loss or increased energy, and particularly if you have an existing health condition.