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Chelation therapy is a mainstream treatment used to treat poisoning due to toxic levels of certain metals in the body.
Heavy metals, which cannot be metabolized, persist in the body and exert their toxic effects by combining with specific chemicals present in the cell. These reactions often hamper the normal physiological functions of the body. Chelating agents, also called heavy metal antagonists, form complexes with these toxic heavy metals, rendering them physiologically inactive and promoting their excretion through the urine.
Specific chelating agents include:
- Sodium calcium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) (also known as edetate calcium disodium)
- Desferal (deferoxamine)
- BAL (dimercaprol) in oil
- Cuprimine, Depen (penicillamine)
Candidates for chelation therapy should initially get a thorough physical so the doctor can identify the type and extent of their clinical problems. Laboratory tests will also be done to determine whether there are any conditions present that would prevent the use of chelation. Children, pregnant women and those with kidney disorders cannot undergo the therapy. A Doppler ultrasound may be performed to determine the adequacy of blood flow in different regions of the body.
The most commonly used forms of chelation therapy are:
- Oral chelation therapy
- Oral chelation therapy usually consists of liposomal EDTA with sodium R-lipoic acid and has a broad metal detoxification ability.
- The liposomal EDTA coupled with some other important nutrients can greatly enhance someone’s detoxification pathways and abilities. People may even be able to decrease heavy metal toxicity without using intravenous (IV) chelation therapy.
- Intravenous chelation therapy
- This therapy is the most commonly used detoxification method.
- A typical treatment cycle may include 20 injections or infusions spread over 10 to 12 weeks.
- Practitioners usually recommend at least 20 to 40 treatments at the start. However, some may recommend continued therapy for up to 100 treatments for several years.
- Each session lasts for one to two hours because the IV treatment must be administered gradually to prevent any kidney damage.
- Because the therapy removes some important minerals from the body, patients often receive high-dose vitamin and mineral supplements during treatment.
Can chelation therapy cure heart disease?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved the use of chelation and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for the treatment of conditions, such as cardiovascular disease.
Furthermore, many practitioners of modern medicine believe that treating cardiovascular diseases using chelation therapy is not appropriate. In fact, chelation can do more harm than good. In rare cases, it may also lead to death due to anaphylaxis.
The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) was conducted to assess the efficacy of chelation in heart diseases. It stated that therapy offered moderate protection against future cardiovascular events, such as strokes and heart attacks. However, the evidence was not strong enough to advocate its use in every case of cardiovascular issues.
Small-scale studies have claimed that chelation therapy with EDTA has a mild positive effect on conditions, such as:
- Diabetes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Fibromyalgia
- Peripheral neuropathy
- Osteoporosis
- Alzheimer's disease
- Thyroid disorders
- Some autoimmune disorders
However, most doctors agree that in the absence of concrete evidence regarding its actual efficacy and long-standing safety, it is better to stick to conventional treatment methods for these conditions.
Are there any side effects with chelation?
Studies report that side effects of chelation therapy are unusual and rarely serious. Mild reactions may include but are not limited to:
- Local irritation at the infusion site
- High blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Kidney damage
- Skin reactions
- Nausea
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Hypoglycemia
- Fever
- Leg cramps
- Loose stools
- Anaphylaxis
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Stawicki M. Why All Americans Should Know About Chelation Therapy. The American College for Advancement in Medicine. https://www.acam.org/blogpost/1092863/331320/Why-All-Americans-Should-Know-About-Chelation-Therapy
American Heart Association. Chelation Therapy. https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010774
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