http://www.fivestarreview.com/chelation.HTM
Andrew Lipton, D.O.
Chelation Therapy (CT) has been used for nearly fifty years for removal of
toxic heavy metals, and alternatively for reduction of atherosclerotic
symptoms. EDTA is an acronym for magnesium disodium ethylene diamine
tetracetic acid. It's FDA approved use is for acute or chronic lead
poisoning. However, since it's beginnings in clinical use, there have been
claims as to it's benefit in treating everything from arthritis to cancer.
Other "investigational" uses include: hypoparathyroidism, scleroderma,
hypercholesterolemia, hypercalcemia, cardiac arrhythmias, coronary
atherosclerotic heart disease, and peripheral vascular disease. 1
Most patients are interested in chelation for its effects on the
cardiovascular system, but the antioxidant effects of CT benefit every system.
Many patients feel a reduction of angina, claudication, and shortness of
breath following a course of CT. Many patients also feel a dramatic improvement
in energy. The treatment course consists of approximately 30-50, two to three
hour IV treatments, depending on the severity of the complaint. Treatments can
be administered once, twice or three times a week, again depending on the
severity of complaint. The IV basically consists of EDTA, ascorbic acid,
magnesium, and B vitamins. The IV therapy is also supplemented with oral
antioxidants and minerals. This treatment combined with lifestyle changes has
been effective for many patients in reducing their blood pressure, cholesterol,
and improving cardiovascular symptoms. Essentially, CT does not "cure"
cardiovascular disease, but may slow progression or even reverse the disease
process. At the very least it is a powerful antioxidant treatment.
Subsequent responses from the medical establishment have called the
use of EDTA for these investigational purposes, useless and quackery. Yet for
over forty years it has persisted as an alternative treatment for a multitude
of chronic diseases. There are hundreds of physicians throughout the U.S. that
use Chelation as an adjunct to their medical practices. Presently the American
Osteopathic Association’s position is ... "Chelation therapy is recognized as
medically acceptable only in the management of acute or chronic heavy metal
poisoning. AOA does not endorse Chelation as useful for other than its
currently approved and medically accepted uses." 2
By definition EDTA Chelation is considered "unconventional".
Unconventional or alternative therapies are defined as medical interventions
not taught widely at U.S. medical schools or therapies not generally available
at U.S. hospitals 3 ( i.e. acupuncture, chiropractic, homeopathy, and massage).
Recent estimates report that more than 500,000 Americans have been received CT,
with numbers rapidly increasing.
History: EDTA was first synthesized in the late 1930's in Germany.
Clinical use in lead poisoning was first reported in 1952, when Michigan
battery factory workers were discovered to be suffering from lead poisoning.
They were treated with EDTA. Coincidentally, the patients who had coronary
artery disease and angina at the time of treatment, had lessening of symptoms
following treatment. This prompted the first studies to discover other
therapeutic effects of EDTA. The first study of EDTA in occlusive vascular
disease was stopped due to lack of immediate results, however it was resumed
after patients reported subsequent improvements in symptoms and lessening of
nitrate use. 4 It was found that maximum benefits occurred approximately 3
months following a course of treatment. 5
The American college for Advancement in Medicine is one of the
organizations that promotes Chelation Therapy. ACAM members include
cardiovascular surgeons and specialists certified in many areas of medicine.
The world scientific literature contains more than 1000 articles attesting to
the many effects of EDTA or a brand name
equivalent, and there are dozens of brands of the same medicine used throughout
the world. Soviet literature has reported beneficial effects with EDTA on
cerebral, coronary and peripheral circulation. 6
Mechanism of Action: EDTA acts first in the vascular compartment by
binding calcium and other cations and trace elements such as zinc, lead,
manganese, cadmium, aluminum, and plutonium, transporting them in bound form
out of the body in urine. 7
This has been found to increase vascular diameter, decrease vascular tone, and
decrease peripheral resistance. 7 Other actions of EDTA that may be responsible
for some of it's effects include decreased platelet aggregation, enhancement of
the hearts utilization of phosphorous improving function, reduced formation of
atheromatous plaques, and decreasing extracellular calcium levels with
reduction of smooth muscle tone similar to calcium channel antagonists. 6 EDTA
also acts at the level of the cell membrane by removing iron and copper, two
potent free radicals, which can disrupt membrane architecture, including
calcium channels. EDTA is also used in solution to keep donor hearts alive
while awaiting transplant. EDTA removes aluminum which has been implicated in
Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia. 8
Research: Hundreds of studies have been performed throughout the years
on the effects of chelation therapy. Antagonists have stated that these studies
have too few
patients, no double blind, and too much patient subjectivity. One of the
largest studies done to date was a retrospective study of 2870 patients. These
patients consisted of five groups of degenerative diseases: cardiac disease 29%
, peripheral vascular disease 39%,
cerebrovascular and degenerative CNS disease 18%, scleroderma 0.1%, other
vascular disease 13%.
After 20 to 30 Chelation treatments these patients showed marked
improvement in 76.89%, and good improvement in 16.56% in patients with ischemic
heart disease. There was marked improvement in 91% and good improvement in
7.6% in patients with peripheral vascular disease. In cerebral vascular disease
24% showed marked improvement and 30% good improvement. Overall this study
showed that 75% of all groups had marked improvement. 9 There are many other
reported EDTA benefit claims which have yet to be substantiated by clinical
studies.
Conclusion: EDTA Chelation for the treatment of atherosclerotic disease
and associated degenerative disease seems to be effective. The literature has
shown objective and symptomatic improvement in patients receiving EDTA in the
small amount of patients tested. Recognizing that current therapies for
atherosclerotic patients are usually invasive and not always effective in the
relief of symptoms, EDTA should be considered as a possible alternative.
1. Craven PC, Morelli HF. Chelation Therapy. The West J Med. 1975;122:277-278.
2. AOA House of Delegates. AOA Position Paper on Chelation Therapy. AOA
Yearbook and Directory. 1994;518.
3. Eisenberg DM et al. Unconventional Medicine in the United States,
Prevalence, Costs and Patterns of Use. N Engl J Med. 1993;328:246-252.
4. Catcall JR, Palmon F, Aytan N, Meltzer LE. The Treatment of Coronary
Artery Disease with Disodium EDTA, A Reappraisal. Am J Card .1963;11:501-506.
5. Cranton EM, Frackelton JP. Current Status of EDTA Chelation Therapy in
Occlusive Arterial Disease. J of Holistic Med 1982;4:24-33.
6 Gordon GF, Vance RB. EDTA Chelation Therapy for Arteriosclerosis: History
and Mechanisms of Action. Osteopathic annals. 1976;4:38-62.
7. Olszewer E, et al. A pilot double-blind study of sodium-magnesium EDTA in
peripheral vascular disease. J Natl MedAss. 1982(3);173-177.
8. Sloth-Nielson J, et al. Arteriographic findings in EDTA Chelation therapy
on peripheral arteriosclerosis. Am J Surgery.1991;162: 122-125.
9. Olszewer E, Carter TP. EDTA Chelation in chronic degenerative disease,
Medical Hypothesis. 1988;27:41-49.
Andrew Lipton, D.O., Narberth, Pennsylvania, has been offering Chelation
Therapy as part of his family practice for over five years. About 10% -20% of
his present practice is devoted to CT. He is on the faculty of the Philadelphia
College of Osteopathic medicine where he teaches Osteopathic manipulation. Dr.
Lipton can be contacted at (610)-667-4601.