Over-the-Counter Chromium and Renal Failure
Authors: H. Jakob Michenfelder
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1997)

Letters15 October 1997Over-the-Counter Chromium and Renal FailureH. Jakob Michenfelder, MD, Jennifer Thompson, MD, and Mark Shepherd, MDH. Jakob Michenfelder, MDDavid Grant United States Air Force Medical Center; Travis AFB, CA 94535-1800Tupelo, MS 38801Search for more papers by this author, Jennifer Thompson, MDDavid Grant United States Air Force Medical Center; Travis AFB, CA 94535-1800Tupelo, MS 38801Search for more papers by this author, and Mark Shepherd, MDDavid Grant United States Air Force Medical Center; Travis AFB, CA 94535-1800Tupelo, MS 38801Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-127-8_Part_1-199710150-00026 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail TO THE EDITOR:In a recent letter, Wasser and colleagues [1] state that intake of chromium picolinate can lead to chronic interstitial nephritis. They cite the case of a woman with unexpected chronic renal failure, biopsy-proven chronic interstitial nephritis, and documented normal renal function 2 years earlier who had taken 600 µg of chromium picolinate for 6 weeks 5 months before the diagnosis of chronic renal failure.We strongly disagree with the authors' conclusion. Chronic interstitial nephritis can have many causes [2]; the temporal relation of the discovery of the chronic renal failure and the intake of chromium picolinate does ...References1. Wasser WG, Feldman NS, D'Agati VD. Chronic renal failure after ingestion of over-the-counter chromium picolinate [Letter]. Ann Intern Med. 1997; 126:410. Google Scholar2. Eknoyan G. Chronic tubulointerstitial nephropathies. In: Schrier RW, Gottschal CW, eds. Diseases of the Kidney. Boston: Little, Brown; 1997; 1938-2015. Google Scholar3. Stearns DM, Belbruno DJ, Wetterhahn KE. A prediction of chromium (III) accumulation in humans from chromium dietary supplements. FASEB J. 1995; 9:1650-7. Google Scholar4. McCarty MF. Chromium (III) picolinate. FASEB J. 1996; 10:365-9. Google Scholar5. Anderson R, Cheng N, Bryden N, Polansky M, Cheng N, Chi J, et al. Beneficial effects of chromium for people with type II diabetes mellitus [Abstract]. Diabetes. 1996; 45:124A. Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: H. Jakob Michenfelder, MD; Jennifer Thompson, MD; Mark Shepherd, MDAffiliations: David Grant United States Air Force Medical Center; Travis AFB, CA 94535-1800Tupelo, MS 38801 PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byToxicology of Chromium(III)Scientific Opinion on the safety of chromium picolinate as a source of chromium added for nutritional purposes to foodstuff for particular nutritional uses and to foods intended for the general populationChromium picolinate, zinc picolinate and zinc picolinate dihydrate added for nutritional purposes in food supplementsEvaluation of the potential genotoxicity of chromium picolinate in mammalian cells in vivo and in vitroThe eating disorders medicine cabinet revisited: A clinician's guide to appetite suppressants and diureticsThe nutritional supplement chromium picolinate generates oxidative DNA damage and peroxidized lipids in vivoDrugs and nutrition 15 October 1997Volume 127, Issue 8_Part_1Page: 655 ePublished: 15 August 2000 Issue Published: 15 October 1997 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 1997 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...