FDA announces recall of diet products

The FDA has announced a recall of 14 popular weight loss products, known as Hydroxycut, due to a number of serious liver injuries.

The agency has received 23 reports of serious health problems associated with Hydroxycut products (Iovate Health Sciences), ranging from jaundice and elevated liver enzymes to liver damage requiring liver transplant. Other problems include seizures, cardiovascular disorders and rhabdomyolysis. One death due to liver failure has been reported.

“The FDA urges consumers to discontinue use of Hydroxycut products in order to avoid any undue risk. Adverse events are rare, but exist. Consumers should consult a physician or other health care professional if they are experiencing symptoms possibly associated with these products,” Linda Katz, MD, interim chief medical officer of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said in a press release.

The dietary supplements are marketed for weight loss, as fat-burners, energy-enhancers and low-carbohydrate diet aids.

Last year, Iovate sold more than 9 million units of Hydroxycut products, according to the FDA.

The agency has not determined which ingredients or dosages are associated with the risk for liver injury.

Meantime, health care professionals are urged to warn patients to stop using Hydroxycut products involved in the recall and encouraged to report serious adverse events or product quality problems to the FDA’s MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program.

The list of products being recalled by Iovate includes:

Hydroxycut Regular Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Free Rapid Release Caplets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Max Liquid Caplets
Hydroxycut Regular Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Caffeine-Fee Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Hardcore Drink Packets (Ignition Stix)
Hydroxycut Max Drink Packets
Hydroxycut Liquid Shots
Hydroxycut Hardcore RTDs (Ready-to-Drink)
Hydroxycut Max Aqua Shed
Hydroxycut 24
Hydroxycut Carb Control
Hydroxycut Natural