- Brands
- Offerings
- Diagnostic Panels
- Events
- Knowledge Center
- Diagnostics
You may be taking biotin without even knowing it...
Biotin is a vitamin with many health benefits and as such, is added to multivitamins and supplements. Although it can be obtained through your diet, its usage as a supplement has grown rapidly over the last few years due to its benefits for healthier hair, skin and nails.1,2,3
No, biotin is not harmful and there are no known side effects from taking biotin. In fact, biotin is recommended for expectant mothers to take for fetal development and is commonly used by the public for healthier hair, nails and skin. 4,5
Biotin is a key component of the biotin-streptavidin method that is used by many laboratory tests today. Problems may occur when these tests are performed on a patient who is taking biotin supplements. These supplements raise the level of biotin in the patient’s blood which may interfere with the ability of the test to perform properly.
There are recent published reports of patient misdiagnosis due to biotin interference:
The growing trend of biotin users (in the millions) is making laboratories alert to the increased risk of test interference.
Inform your doctor if you are taking biotin and alert them that this could interfere with certain blood tests. Ask your doctor to make sure that the tests ordered are performed on diagnostic products that are not impacted by biotin.
Skipping your daily biotin supplement before your test does not guarantee that results will be accurate. Biotin has been known to remain in your system for up to several weeks, and can still impact results6.
Below is a link to a discussion guide you can take to your physician regarding your biotin usage and laboratory tests.
Links which take you out of Abbott worldwide websites are not under the control of Abbott, and Abbott is not responsible for the contents of any such site or any further links from such site. Abbott is providing these links to you only as a convenience, and the inclusion of any link does not imply endorsement of the linked site by Abbott. The website that you have requested also may not be optimised for your screen size.
Please be aware that the website you have requested is intended for the residents of a particular country or countries, as noted on that site. As a result, the site may contain information on pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other products or uses of those products that are not approved in other countries or regions.
Please be aware that the website you have requested is intended for the residents of a particular country or countries, as noted on that site. As a result, the site may contain information on pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other products or uses of those products that are not approved in other countries or regions.