FDA: Biotin supplements may interfere with lab tests

Alia Paavola -

The FDA is warning healthcare providers, laboratory personnel, lab test developers and the public that biotin, vitamin B7, may interfere with laboratory tests and cause incorrect test results.

Biotin in patient samples can cause clinically significant erroneous lab test results. In particular, biotin interference has been linked to an increasing number of adverse events, including one patient death.

Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin often found in multivitamins and dietary supplements. Many supplements for hair, skin and nail benefits contain levels 650 times the recommended amount of the vitamin.

The FDA is working to better understand biotin interference to provide recommendations in the future to test patients who are ingesting high amounts of the vitamin. 

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