Non-Viral Hepatitis Outbreak Linked to Weight-Loss Supplement — Physician’s First Watch
Non-Viral Hepatitis Outbreak Linked to Weight-Loss Supplement
By Kelly Young
At least 24 people have developed acute non-viral hepatitis after using the dietary supplement OxyElite Pro, marketed for use in weight loss and muscle building. Additionally, two patients have received liver transplants, and one patient died, but it is not clear whether they took OxyElite Pro or a different dietary supplement.
The cases (median age, 33) all lived in Hawaii, but the CDC is investigating whether there are cases of liver injury elsewhere, since the supplement is sold nationwide. The FDA advises consumers to stop using OxyElite Pro during the investigation.
The CDC recommends that clinicians examining patients with acute hepatitis should ask about their dietary supplement use. Patients meeting the case definition (i.e., used a dietary supplement within 60 days of symptom onset and have alanine transaminase more than 4 times the upper limit of normal, total bilirubin more than twice the upper limit of normal, and negative workup for other potential causes) should be reported to state or local health departments and the FDA's MedWatch program.