Hypervitaminosis A altering the lipid profile in a hypercholesterolemic patient

Vitamin A is an essential lipid soluble vitamin needed for various cellular processes in humans. Erratic and supraphysiologic intake of vitamin A can lead to adverse effects that can be life threatening. For this reason, various medical societies have limited the recommended daily allowances and intakes (RDA and RDI, respectively) in an attempt to prevent hypervitaminosis toxicity. Studies have reported an association between hypertriglyceridemia and hypervitaminosis A. We present a patient with a history of familial combined hypercholesterolemia who developed an abrupt increase in his total cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and triglycerides (TG) after taking high doses of vitamin A supplements.