The hydration spa industry boom operates practically without supervision or data that supports its claims, according to the first national integral analysis of hydration clinics.
In clinics from all over the country, people pay hundreds of dollars to have vitamins and minerals directly dripped in their veins as detoxification, to relieve headaches or increase immunity, “almost completely without evidence,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, president of the science center in public interest and co -author of the study, published Monday in internal medicine JAMA. “As a result, there is a real danger to consumers.”
Hydration clinics, combined with the growing number of MED spas that offer intravenous vitamin drips, skin care and cosmetic procedures, have shot themselves in a well -being industry of $ 15 billion in recent years, according to the American Med Spa Association.
The group represents Med Spas, which often offer IV treatments, throughout the country. Alex Thiersch, executive director of the American Med Spa Association, said that some suppliers of the IV Hydration Clinic do not realize that they are actually practicing medicine and can lack adequate training.
“We have had people who are surprised by that,” said Thiersch. “They thought: ‘I’m just doing an IV. It’s different. They are vitamins.”
“If you are putting a needle in someone’s line,” he said, “that’s a 100%medical practice.”
There are no federal health regulations or national standards for MED spas procedures. Instead, the facilities fall under the authority of each state.
As of June 2024, no state or jurisdiction had promulgated legislation specifically to regulate Hydration Spas IV, according to the new study.
Thirty -two states had some type of policy that approached the IV hydration spas, including the rules to prescribe or aggravate medications or how clinics should dispense medications.
Four states, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina and Vermont, had the most comprehensive supervision.
“This is a medical system that exists largely outside conventional medicine,” Lurie said. “We are concerned that people spend their money on these for no reason to wait for benefits. We are also worried that there are adverse effects related to this.”
The potential for injury is real: products or equipment could be contaminated, or a supplier may not have adequate training to give an IV safely.
There is no official count of the number of people injured in Med Spas. Infections and allergic reactions often do not inform the health departments.
The new research cited the previous NBC News reports on the Med spas as evidence of “growing concerns of their safety, with contaminated infections and products reports.”
Of the 255 clinical websites analyzed, more than half offered IV hydration therapy that promotes therapies such as magnesium for headaches and muscle cramps, glutathione such as a potential reinforcement of the immune system or other substances announced to increase energy.
Only two of those sites listed tangible sources for those health statements. None mentioned potential risks, such as infection or allergic reactions.
An aspect of the investigation involved a secret investigation of buyers, in which the investigators made calls to 87 spas chosen at random.
Only around 1 in 4 required a medical consultation in advance. More than 85% recommended specific IV cocktails when the people they call mentioned symptoms as a head or cold pain, often without verifying a patient’s medical history.
Less than 1 in 4 warned about possible side effects, such as bruises or infections.
Food and medication administration previously warned consumers about the potential for serious infections and deformities of the unauthorized unauthorized shots skin to dissolve fats in med spas.
