How Chelation Therapy Can Help Prevent Heart Disease in High-Risk Individuals
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) chelation therapy is used as an alternative treatment for diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, autism, and heart disease. But there’s no scientific evidence that it works.
The only randomized controlled trial found that EDTA didn’t cut the risk of a second heart attack in people with previous heart disease. It also causes severe side effects, including kidney damage, irregular heartbeat, bone damage, and loss of vitamins and minerals.
Reduces Blood Pressure
Chelation therapy binds metal molecules in the blood and removes them from the body, leaving waste materials in urine. It has been used for years, including lead poisoning, in people with heavy metal poisoning. It has also been used for off-label indications, such as cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, arthritis, and other health conditions.
Studies of chelation therapy’s effect on health outcomes have yielded mixed results. A few randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have reported reduced heart-related problems and deaths among people with a previous myocardial infarction who received 40 treatments with EDTA, plus high doses of antioxidant vitamins and minerals. However, the benefits of chelation therapy appear to be less pronounced in diabetic patients than in nondiabetic patients.
Another RCT examining whether EDTA reduces heart-related events in people with a prior MI found no significant benefit, and a study of whether a chelation treatment can minimize leg pain caused by poor circulation to the legs (intermittent claudication) yielded similar findings. However, these studies had significant limitations; only one of the five included coronary artery disease participants was double-blind.
The FDA warns that dietary supplements and nasal sprays that claim to chelate metals or use the chemical disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) are not approved for use this way and may cause harm. A healthcare provider should only administer EDTA under a prescription to treat heavy metal poisoning or for other medical conditions, such as atherosclerosis, in consultation with a qualified expert.
Prevents Heart Attacks
Chelation therapy medicines find and stick to metals and minerals in the bloodstream, causing them to break apart and leave the body in urine. Some health practitioners claim that chelation therapy can prevent heart attacks by reducing calcium in deposits that line and block diseased arteries. This is controversial, however. Extensive clinical studies such as the Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) haven’t shown enough evidence to support the routine use of chelation therapy for heart disease.
TACT divided 1,708 people who’d had a previous heart attack into groups that received either 40 treatments of EDTA or placebo solutions. The patients and the researchers needed to determine who was getting which treatment. Overall, EDTA didn’t significantly reduce future cardiovascular events. But TACT showed that combining EDTA and other therapies, such as drugs for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diet changes, significantly reduced heart disease risk.
Experts don’t think the Food and Drug Administration will ever approve chelation therapy to treat heart disease. It’s simply too expensive – each treatment costs $75 to $125, and many people receive dozens of treatments over several months. Insurance usually doesn’t cover it. And there are risks, ranging from a drop in calcium levels to permanent kidney damage. If used instead of medically proven treatments, it can also be harmful if it causes people to delay or avoid needed care for severe conditions.
Reduces Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a narrowing of the arteries that limits blood flow to the heart and brain, causing chest pain (angina) and leg pain due to decreased leg circulation (intermittent claudication). Atherosclerosis can also lead to a heart attack or stroke. Some seek alternative healthcare approaches to treat or prevent heart disease, including disodium EDTA chelation therapy. But experts say there is little evidence that chelation reduces atherosclerosis or other forms of heart disease, and the risks are significant.
Proponents of EDTA chelation claim that it can help treat heart disease by clearing clogged arteries, and they point to some clinical studies indicating that it may help. However, these trials could have been more carefully designed and have produced consistent results. One study found that EDTA did not affect cardiovascular events or death among patients who had recently experienced a heart attack. Another found that a chelation drug regimen reduced cardiovascular events and deaths among diabetic patients with previous heart attacks. Still, it did not significantly improve other measures of blood flow, such as ankle-brachial pressure index or the distance people could walk on a treadmill.
Some experts have raised concerns about this study’s rigor and other EDTA chelation trials. They argue that patients need to be adequately informed about the risks of the treatment, including the risk of low calcium levels, kidney failure, arrhythmias, and tetany.
Relieves Pain
Chelation therapy is usually used to treat heavy metal poisoning, but some alternative health practitioners claim it can be used to prevent heart disease. They claim that EDTA reduces calcium levels in the bloodstream, which can help break down plaque that lines diseased blood vessels. They also believe that chelation therapy can reopen clogged arteries, which can help prevent heart attacks and other problems.
While chelation therapy is FDA-approved to remove heavy metals like iron and mercury, there’s no scientific evidence that it can help with other conditions, such as autism or Alzheimer’s. Moreover, chelation therapy can cause serious side effects if it’s done incorrectly.
A few studies have shown that EDTA chelation can relieve pain in people with atherosclerosis, which causes the narrowing of the arteries and restricts blood flow. But these studies have yet to compare the results of EDTA with those of other treatments, such as medications or angioplasty.
A larger trial is currently underway to test the effectiveness of EDTA chelation in treating atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute are sponsoring this study to ensure the tested EDTA chelation therapy is safe and effective. However, this trial will take years and won’t be ready for another decade.
