An 89-year-old man in the United Kingdom died after an “overdose” of Vitamin D tablets that did not warn about the dangers of excessive use. According to the New York Post, David Mitchener, a retired businessman, had a high level of Vitamin D when he was admitted to the hospital last May. He had hypercalcaemia, which is a buildup of calcium in the body caused by excessive vitamin D intake. He died ten days later. Members of the local medical community are now using the occasion to warn the public about the dangers of using the popular supplement. The event has also caused the Surrey assistant coroner to release a report urging regulatory bodies to demand conspicuous warnings on supplement packaging concerning the dangers of overconsumption, the outlet reported.
Vitamin supplements “can have potentially very serious risks and side effects when taken in excess”
“There was no warning on or in the packaging detailing the specific risks or side effects of taking Vitamin D supplements,” coroner Jonathan Stevens wrote in his official report. “In my opinion, there is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken,” he added. Mr Stevens also wrote to the Food Standards Agency and the Department of Health and Social Care urging them to ask supplement manufacturers to print warnings on packaging. In his report, he warned that vitamin supplements “can have potentially very serious risks and side effects when taken in excess”. He added that the “current food labelling requirements do not require these risks and side effects to be written on the packaging”.
Notably, the 89-year-old is believed to have had the highest documented amounts of Vitamin D in his body, according to the Post. His post-mortem report showed that his Vitamin D levels were 380, which is the “maximum level recorded by the laboratory”. Medical professionals recommend that individuals maintain a level of 30 to “guarantee sufficiency”. The recommended dosage for most individuals is 600 international units (IUs). According to the Mayo Clinic, taking more than the prescribed amount can result in an overdose.
David Mitchener first presented to the hospital with hypercalcemia, or an excess of calcium in his body. This is usually caused by high amounts of vitamin D. However, the coroner identified congestive heart failure, chronic kidney failure, hypercalcemia, and ischemic heart disease as additional causes of death. However, because to the high levels of vitamin D discovered, the coroner cautioned that “Vitamin supplements can have potentially very serious risks and side effects when taken in excess”.
