NIH Trial of Chelation Therapy Yields Surprising Results

Chelation therapy for coronary artery disease consists of a series of infusions containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), which facilitates urinary excretion of divalent and trivalent cations. Although the evidence supporting this therapy is weak, and it is far out of the cardiology mainstream, a national survey indicated that in 2007 more than 100,000 adults received chelation therapy. Therefore, the NIH sponsored the double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy to determine if a chelation regimen reduces cardiovascular events. Patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) were assigned to receive an infusion of EDTA, ascorbate, B vitamins, electrolytes, procaine, and heparin (n=839) or a …