Chelation Therapy Shows Limited Benefit for Heart Disease

Chelation therapy showed mininal benefit in preventing heart attack, stroke or death in people who had a previous heart attack, says a study. Chelation therapy uses chemicals that combine with metals or other toxins in the body. It is used to treat lead poisoning and certain medical conditions, such as iron overload. Chelation with a chemical called ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) has been promoted as a way to remove harmful metals from arteries. It is controversial. The study included 1,708 adults age 50 and older who had a previous heart attack. Half of the patients got 40 infusions of EDTA solution along with high doses of vitamin and mineral supplements into their bloodstreams; half got a placebo solution. The researchers followed the patients for an average of 4.5 years to see who had another heart problem.