FDA, FTC, and state  agencies all have oversight responsibility for alternative medicine  products. Although precise estimates of the physical harm  caused to senior citizens by questionable anti-aging and alternative  products are not available, there is evidence in the medical literature that  seniors are at risk for adverse effects, that dietary supplements are  contraindicated for individuals with some underlying health problems, and  that a variety of frequently used dietary supplements can have dangerous  interactions with drugs that are being taken concurrently. Some scientific studies have found that there may be significantly more  active ingredient in some herbal and specialty supplement products than is  indicated on the label. FTC does not have an estimate of economic  harm attributable to these products, but some of these unproven products  can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars apiece. FDA and FTC sponsor  programs and provide educational materials for senior citizens to help  them avoid health fraud on the Internet and in other media. At the state level, agencies are working to protect consumers of  health products by enforcing state consumer protection and public health  laws, although anti-aging and alternative products have received limited  attention. We also interviewed officials and reviewed documents from the Food and  Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and  National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What GAO Found

Evidence from the medical literature shows that a variety of frequently used dietary supplements marketed as anti-aging therapies can have serious health consequences for senior citizens. Some seniors have underlying diseases or health conditions that make the use of the product medically inadvisable, and some supplements can interact with medications that are being taken concurrently. Furthermore, studies have found that products sometimes contain harmful contaminants or much more of an active ingredient than is indicated on the label. Unproven anti-aging and alternative medicine products also pose an economic risk to seniors. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have identified several products that make advertising or labeling claims with insufficient substantiation, some costing consumers hundreds or thousands of dollars apiece. Federal and state agencies have efforts under way to protect consumers of these products. FDA and FTC sponsor programs and provide educational materials for senior citizens to help them avoid health fraud. At the state level, agencies are working to protect consumers of health products by enforcing state consumer protection and public health laws, although anti-aging and alternative products are receiving limited attention. GAO summarized this report in testimony before Congress (GAO-01-1139T).