Study: LipoKinetix Linked With Severe Liver Failure

The dietary supplement LipoKinetix, used for weight loss, has been linked with severe liver failure by researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and UCLA.

The manufacturers of LipoKinetix market the supplement asserting that it promotes weight loss by "mimicking exercise."

Researchers followed seven patients taking LipoKinetix for weight loss, all of whom were healthy before taking the supplement. All patients followed in the study developed signs of symptoms of acute hepatotoxicity (liver failure) -- such as fatigue and abdominal pain. -- within three months of taking LipoKinetix.

The patients fully recovered as soon as they discontinued using the supplement, according to the study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

"Despite extensive evaluations, no other cause for hepatotoxicity could be identified in the seven patients studied," concluded the research team.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration late last year warned healthcare professionals and consumers to immediately stop use of the product, and has urged the manufacturer to withdraw it from the market (see earlier Obesity Week story).

Other sources: Annals of Internal Medicine