Chelation Therapy

New Hope for persons with Atherosclerosis and Age Associated Diseases

What is "Chelation"?

Chelation (pronounced KEY-LAY-SHUN) is the chemical process by which a metal or mineral (such as lead, mercury, copper, iron, arsenic, aluminum, calcium, etc.) is bonded to another substance. It is a natural process, basic to life itself. Chelation is one mechanism by which such common substances as aspirin, antibiotics, vitamins, minerals and face elements work in the body. Hemoglobin, the red pigment in blood, which carries oxygen, is a chelate of iron.

Do you have to go to a hospital to be chelated?

No, in most cases it is an outpatient treatment available in a physician's office or clinic.

Does it hurt? What does it feel like to be chelated?

Being 'chelated' is quite a different experience from other medical treatments. There is no pain, and in most cases, very little discomfort. Patients are seated in reclining chairs and can read, nap, watch TV, do needlework of chat with other patients while the fluid containing the EDTA flows into their veins.

Are there risks - or unpleasant side effects?

EDTA is relatively non-toxic and risk free, especially when compared with other treatments. The risk of serious side effects, when property administered is less than 1 in 10,000 patients treated. By comparison, the overall death rate as a direct result of bypass is approximately 3 out of every 100 patients undergoing surgery, varying with the hospital and the operating team.

What types of examinations and test must be done prior to beginning chelation therapy?

Prior to commencing a course of chelation therapy a complete medical history must be obtained along with a detailed listing of diet. Copies of pertinent medical records. A thorough, head-to-toe physical examination will be performed with a complete list of current medications. Special note will be made of any allergies.
Blood and urine specimens will be obtained for a battery of tests. An electrocardiogram and chest x-ray may be ordered. Non-invasive tests will be performed, as medically indicated, to determine the status of arterial blood flow prior to therapy.

Is chelation therapy new?

Not at all. Its earliest application with humans was during World War II.
EDTA was first introduced into medicine in the United States in 1948 as a treatment for industrial workers suffering from lead poisoning in a battery factory. Shortly thereafter, the U.S. Navy advocated chelation therapy for sailors who had absorbed lead while painting government ships and dock facilities. Physicians then observed that adults receiving EDTA chelation treatments who had atherosclerosis also experienced health improvements - diminished angina, better memory, sight, hearing, sense of smell and increased vigor.

Is it legal?

Absolutely. There is no legal prohibition against a licensed physician (M.D. or D.O.) using chelation therapy for whatever conditions he deems it to be correct

What proof do you have that it works?

Physicians with extensive experience in the use of chelation therapy observe dramatic improvement in the vast majority of their patients. They see angina routinely relieved, patients who suffered searing chest pains when walking only a short distance are frequently able to return to normal, productive living after undergoing chelation. Far more dramatic, but equally common, is seeing diabetic ulcers and gangrenous feet heal. Many individuals who had been told that their limbs would have to be amputated because of gangrene are thrilled to watch their feet heal with chelation, although some areas of dead tissue may have to be trimmed away surgically. There is a wealth of evidence from clinical experience that symptoms of reduced blood flow improve in more than 75 percent of patients treated.

What is the cost comparison?

Bypass surgery is the mechanical repair of only a small portion of the arterial tree. Total costs average about $45,000 and can be as high as $60,000 or even more. Chelation therapy is an office treatment, which improves blood flow throughout the entire vascular system at a fraction of the cost of bypass surgery. For example, if 20 to 40 three-hour chelation treatments in a physician's office were required for a given patient, it would cost an estimated $1,500-$3,000.

Why can't chelation be taken by mouth in pill form, instead of by intravenous injection?

Chelation therapy is gaining recognition so rapidly that there is growing interest in developing a safe and effective oral chelator. Many nutritional substances administered by mouth are known to have weak chelation properties. But, none have the spectrum of activity of intravenous EDTA.

Is it true that chelation therapy combats atherosclerosis by acting like a "liquid plumber" - by leeching calcium out of the atherosclerotic plaque?

No. Before recent medical breakthroughs in the area of free radical pathology, it was hypothesized that EDTA chelation therapy had its major beneficial effect on calcium metabolism - that it stripped away the excess calcium from the plaque, restoring arteries to their pliable precalcified state. This frequently offered explanation - the so-called 'roto-rooter' concept - is not the real reason, as previously postulated, that chelation therapy produces its major health benefits. The fact that EDTA does remove some abnormal calcium is now felt to be one of the less prominent aspects of its benefits.

Why haven't I heard about chelation before?

That is a good question. Until quite recently, relatively few patients have been informed that this therapy is available. Most heart specialist may not have even heard of the treatment and would be reluctant to prescribe it they had. The American Medical Association has not yet approved chelation therapy for atherosclerosis, although it does endorse its use in the treatment of lead and other heavy metal poisoning.
Traditional medical organizations, politically powerful, have consistently attempted to suppress chelation therapy, perhaps because of large vested interests in other methods of health care. The cost of all medical care for persons with heart disease in the United States in 1986, including coronary bypass surgery and prescription drugs, exceeded $40 billion.

What else is involved in a complete program of chelation?

Your lifestyle counts. Nutritional supplements. Destructive Habits. Exercise.

Is chelation therapy for you?

Only you can make that decision.