Chelation therapy
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Chelation therapy is a form of alternative therapy developed in the 1950s to remove toxins and minerals from the blood vessel walls and the blood. Though chelation therapy was originally used to treat people with heavy metal poisoning, it is now used to treat a variety of other medical conditions. Chelation therapy can provide health benefits to patients with heart disease, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, and other health problems.
Proponents of chelation therapy believe that this alternative medicine breaks down cholesterol and removes calcium from the plaques which cause clogged arteries. Chelation therapy is typically administered as infusions into the bloodstream. Sometimes this therapy is given by mouth. The chemical edetic acid (EDTA) is administered in both infusion and oral therapy. Most chelation therapists recommend at least twenty treatments to achieve the desired benefits. This can often cost thousands of dollars.
The government has invested significant resources into the study of chelation therapy. The medical community currently accepts chelation therapy as an appropriate treatment for lead toxicity. Chelation therapy has also been indicated to slow the progression of kidney failure after lead poisoning. Chelation therapy has also been shown effective in improving renal function.
Many high-quality studies have also been conducted to test the effects of chelation therapy on atherosclerosis. Because these studies did not find benefit, the American Heart Association does not recommend chelation therapy for the treatment of atherosclerosis. The research is not yet conclusive, however, and studies are still being conducted.
Some government studies have found that EDTA chelation therapy carries a low risk of side effects when it is practiced by a qualified and experienced practitioner. Rare side effects from chelation therapy can include stinging at the treatment site, fever, hypotension, hypocalcaemia, headache, vomiting, nausea, bone marrow depression, and more. These side effects are very uncommon when chelation therapy is administered by a trained health care professional.
It is estimated that Americans made 800,000 visits to chelation therapy practitioners in 1997 alone. While lead poisoning treatment is the only condition for which chelation therapy has been proven useful by western medicine, there are many unproved uses of chelation therapy. Many of these unproven uses are for blood-related conditions.
If you are interested in chelation therapy it is important to speak with a qualified and experienced medical professional. Chelation therapy is not for everybody and has the potential to cause serious side effects.
