LONDON (dpa-AFX) - A man died due to overconsumption of Vitamin D supplements for nine months, which resulted in excessive level of calcium in the blood, according to a coroner's report to the Department of Health and Social Care or DHSC, and the Food Standards Agency or FSA.
David Mitchener, a retired businessman from the U.K., was admitted to the hospital last year due to a condition called hypercalcemia, occurring due to excessive build-up of calcium in the body.
The report stated that on testing Mitchener's blood, the doctors found Vitamin D at 380, the maximum level recordable by the laboratory.
Later, Mitchener, aged 89, died of heart failure and kidney failure, excess calcium levels, and vitamin D toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis D.
The coroner, Jonathan Stevens, said in the report, 'Vitamin supplements can have potentially very serious risks and side effects when taken in excess.' He noted that the current labelling requirements do not require the warnings to be written on packaging.
Stevens urged the drug manufacturers and regulatory bodies to step up and take the required actions. 'In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken,' he said.
The DHSA responded, 'We will consider the coroner's findings in full and respond in due course.'
According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, the recommended daily dosage for people of ages 14 to 70 is 15 micrograms or 600 international units, and for people over 70, the daily dosage limit goes up to 20 micrograms or 800 international units.
In the U.S., the manufacturers are required to list the active ingredients, the amount per serving, and other ingredients, such as fillers, binders, and flavorings under the 'supplement facts' label. Moreover, the National Institute of Health recommends the people to take guidance from healthcare providers while taking dietary supplements, irrespective of the dosage mentioned on the label.
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