| EDTA Chelation Therapy
Chelation is the major form of alternative therapy for cardiovascular
disease and one of the most popular alternative pharmacological treatments.
Chelation employs ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), a material
that readily binds to metallic ions. EDTA is used in standard medicine
as the preferred treatment for lead poisoning as well as for removing
more than a dozen other toxic metals ranging from cadmium to zinc (Berkow,
1992). Since shortly after EDTA was synthesized in the 1950s, its use
has been suggested to treat heart disease and circulatory problems, including
atherosclerosis (Clarke et al., 1955), high blood pressure (Schroeder
and Perry, 1955), angina pectoris (Clarke et al., 1956), occlusive vascular
disease (Clarke, 1960), and porphyria (Peters, 1960). Chelation has also
been suggested as a potential treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (Boyle
et al., 1963) and even as a preventive for cancer (Blumer and Cranton,
1989). Several mechanisms have been proposed for the therapeutic action
of EDTA. Since the ~molecule is known to be able to incorporate a metal
ion into its own ring structure, it may maintain cellular health by removing
those ions that cause harmful peroxidation of lipids (fatty materials).
EDTA is also believed to remove calcium particles deposited in the arterial
wall--various kinds of plaques--by analogy to its standard use in heavy-metal
poisoning. But it may also lower the ionized calcium levels by blocking
the slow calcium currents in the arterial wall, thus functioning as a
kind of "calcium-blocking agent," a category of drugs known to have potent
coronary vasodilating effects (Casdorph, 1981). EDTA has also been identified
as acting to increase the concentration of a vasodilator (Cranton and
Frackelton, 1989). Most recently, the various mechanisms proposed for
EDTA's therapeutic action have been brought together under a unified but
controversial theory that they all involve protective effects against
detrimental actions of free radicals (Cranton and Frackelton, 1989). This
protection may lead indirectly to such activities as removing deposits
from the walls of arteries or dilating blocked arteries. ~Various peer-reviewed
articles support the use of EDTA chelation in heart disease because of
the observed effects on the health of patients, but clear demonstration
of physiological change has been possible only in the past few years.
In the early 1980s, the problem was how to directly measure arterial effects
of EDTA, because measurements of the size (diameter) of arteries were
accurate within only 25 percent (Cranton and Frackelton, 1982); yet dilations
of 10 to 15 percent may have significant (doubling) effects on blood flow
(Cranton, 1985; Olszewer and Carter, 1989). One 1982 study did report
decreased blockage of arteries in 88 percent of 57 patients by means of
a noninvasive analysis (McDonagh et al., 1982) that relies on a technique
developed by Langham and To'mey (1978). Later research involving some
of the same investigators (Rudolph et al., 1991) using ultrasound showed
a decrease in blockage of carotid arteries using chelation therapy that
was statistically significant in both males and females and was an average
of 21 percent lower than initial values. The investigators calculated
large improvements in blood flow as a result of the decreased blockage.
Furthermore, a large retrospective study of 2,870 patients in Brazil showed
that 89 percent ~of the patients treated with EDTA had marked or good
improvement (Olszewer and Carter, 1989). Olszewer et al. (1990) followed
the retrospective study with a small, randomized, double-blind clinical
trial of EDTA treatments for 10 men with peripheral vascular disease.
After 10 of 20 intended EDTA treatments, it was clear that some patients
were showing dramatic improvements. When the code that identified which
patients were receiving medication was broken, the group that had improved
were all identified as persons who received EDTA. All patients were then
placed on EDTA treatment, and the ones previously receiving placebo showed
improvement comparable to that of the first EDTA group. The group continuing
on EDTA showed additional improvements as well, although later progress
was not as dramatic as the initial changes. Chelation is currently available
in nearly every State of the United States as well as many foreign countries.
In the United States, the four major organizations promoting acceptance
of chelation therapy are the American Board of Chelation Therapy, the
American College for Advancement in Medicine, the Great Lakes Association
of Clinical Medicine, and the International Bioxidative Medicine Association.
Chelation therapy is administered as an ~outpatient treatment, costing
$75 to $120 per visit; the average cost for a course of 20 to 30 treatments
is approximately $3,000. Since 1960, 500,000 patients have received chelation
in more than 5 million treatments. The toxicity of EDTA is a matter of
some dispute. Advocates claim that it is essentially nontoxic, with approximately
the same "danger" as that of normal doses of aspirin. They explain that
early adverse effects, especially on the kidney, resulted from preexisting
kidney disease or from using greater doses and rates of administration
than those now recommended (the protocol available from the American College
of Advancement in Medicine for use of intravenous EDTA also includes dietary
supplements with multivitamins and trace elements). Although some reports
claimed EDTA-related deaths, proponents state that these claims were erroneous,
explaining, for example, that some deaths resulted from heavy-metal toxicity.
See Cranton and Frackelton (1989) for references reviewing the field.
Hundreds of physicians are convinced that EDTA chelation therapy is of
greater benefit to their patients than conventional treatments that are
more dangerous and costly, such as ~bypass operations or toxic cardiotonic
drugs such as digoxin. For example, Cranton (1985) compared 4,000 deaths
from bypass surgery over a 30-year period with fewer than 20 associated
with EDTA treatment (both procedures had approximately 300,000 patients
during that time). Proponents also note that in issuing an IND permit
to the American College of Advancement in Medicine to study EDTA to treat
peripheral vascular disease, FDA officials indicated that "safety is not
an issue" (Olszewer and Carter, 1989). A double-blind, placebo-controlled
study that might have settled the question of the usefulness of EDTA treatment
was begun at three military hospitals in the 1980s under the FDA-approved
IND application cited in the preceding paragraph. This study was dropped
in November 1991, reportedly because of the exigencies of Operation Desert
Storm in the Persian Gulf. At that time, 31 patients had completed their
dosages, but the double-blind code was not broken. At present, it is estimated
that the study could be resumed by an interested sponsor at a cost of
$3.75 million for the remaining 150 patients, or $25,000 per patient.
Since EDTA is an ~unpatented drug in the public domain, no drug company
is likely to sponsor this research or develop it for sale. Proponents
of alternative medicine believe that EDTA could and should be evaluated
in less costly ways. (See the "Future Research Opportunities" section.)
- U.S. States > Georgia > Atlanta
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics
and Practices
-
- Environmental
and Preventive Health Center of Atlanta - innovative treatments
(including chelation) for Alzheimers, allergy/autoimmunity,
arthritis, autism, cancer, chemical sensitivity, chronic disease,
depression, fatigue and multiple sclerosis, from environmental/nutritional
causes.
- U.S. States > Georgia > Atlanta
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Alternative
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- U.S. States > Washington > Yelm
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Alternative
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- Mt.
Rogers Clinics - offering chelation therapy, hormone
replacement therapy, nutrition programs, hyperbaric oxygen therapy,
mercury detoxification, and more.
- U.S. States > Virginia > Trout
Dale > Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices >
Alternative
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- U.S. States > Montana > Bozeman
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Alternative
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- Nature's
Wisdom - a multidisciplinary naturopathic healthcare center.
Offers homeopathy, neural, and chelation therapy.
- U.S. States > Oregon > Portland
> Business and Shopping > Business to Business > Health
Care
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- Science > Chemistry
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- U.S. States > Florida > Fort Myers
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Allergy
and Asthma
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- U.S. States > California > Burbank
> Business and Shopping > Business to Business > Health Care
> Nutrition
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- Canada > Alberta > Rocky View >
Calgary > Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices >
Alternative
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- Business and Economy > Shopping and
Services > Health > Nutrition > Supplements
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- Mexico > Baja California > Los
Algodones > Business and Shopping > Business
to Business
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- Santa
Fe Health Clinic - directed by Dr. Oscar Leyva, offers chelation,
oxidation, bio-oxidation and ozone therapy.
- U.S. States > Connecticut > Storrs
> Education > College and University > Public > University
of Connecticut > Departments and Programs > School of Engineering
> Chemical
Engineering
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- U.S. States > Florida > Plantation
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Orthopedics
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- Stein,
Alvin MD, FACS - services include prolotherapy, chelation
therapy, and neural therapy to treat various forms of chronic pain.
- U.S. States > Texas > Austin >
Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Alternative
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- U.S. States > North Carolina >
Raleigh > Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices >
Alternative
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- U.S. States > Georgia > Atlanta
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Alternative
> Holistic
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- East-West
Medical - specializes in holistic care and pain management using
acupuncture, prolotherapy, neural therapy, and chelation.
- U.S. States > Georgia > Savannah
> Health > Care Providers > Clinics and Practices > Chiropractic
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