Cure or Quackery

I come across all sorts of treatment methods in my research -- many are commonly accepted… some are considered “alternative” treatments… and then there are the ones that are “out there.” A number of readers have asked me about one “out there” treatment in particular -- chelation therapy, which has been used since the 1940s to detoxify the body of heavy metal poisoning.

Chelation involves administering a man-made amino acid complex called ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) into the veins to clear the system of such heavy metals as lead or mercury. However, almost from the outset, doctors noticed that chelation also seemed to decrease patients' angina pain and improve their memories and even their senses of smell, taste, etc. The FDA approved chelation therapy in 1953 for its original purpose, but off-label use of chelation therapy for cardiovascular and other health conditions may actually be more common today than its use for heavy metal poisoning. (For more on off-label drug use, see Daily Health News, December 1, 2003.)

Many doctors are dismissive -- even disdainful -- of chelation therapy for anything other than removal of heavy metals because they believe the health claims are bogus. But the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has decided that the time has come to evaluate chelation for off-label use. In 2003, it started a $30-million double-blind study to take place over five years at about 100 research sites. One of these sites is the Magaziner Center for Wellness & Anti-Aging Medicine in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.

To get the bigger picture on chelation, I called the Center’s director, Allan Magaziner, osteopath, coauthor of four books on natural cures for cardiac problems and current president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM), an international organization dedicated to educating health-care professionals about preventive/nutritional medicine. To say that Dr. Magaziner is enthusiastic about chelation therapy for a broad range of health issues is an understatement. He has been administering it for 18 years for cardiac health and other purposes, and he says he still is amazed by the results.

The Chelation Process

EDTA clears the bloodstream of heavy metals by seeking them out and binding to them. The body then flushes out the EDTA, taking the metals along with it. There are two theories for why the therapy might work for other problems. One is that EDTA also binds to free radicals, highly active molecular fragments that can damage tissues and perhaps the lining of the blood vessels... the other is that it binds to calcium in the bloodstream, resulting in a series of actions that can improve cellular and vascular health. Dr. Magaziner says that if chelation works on an individual, it can make blood vessels more open, pliable and flexible by reducing inflammation and plaque density. This improves circulation, lowers blood pressure, and it improves cardiovascular disease and vascular disease in the legs. It also helps treat diabetes and osteoarthritis. Interestingly, Dr. Magaziner has found that chelation can help some people with memory loss and cataracts because of they way it clears the heavy metal toxins from the bloodstream.

People who are not candidates for chelation are pregnant women, people with cardiovascular disease who are in imminent danger and those with significant kidney damage. The only side effect of the therapy, under the direct supervision of a physician specialist, is that it lowers blood sugar slightly. Patients who are hypoglycemic require special adjustments to be sure this doesn’t become a problem.

Getting Chelation

Chelation therapy involves intravenous EDTA drips once a week, a process that takes about three hours. You can eat and drink normally during the procedure. Most patients need at least 20 treatments, and some need as many as 40. After 30 weeks, patients who are continuing with the therapy switch to one treatment per month. Most patients report that they are feeling better after 10 to 15 treatments. It is critical for anyone interested in chelation therapy to go to an experienced practitioner. The ACAM Web site, www.acam.org, has a list of doctors with specialized training.

Adopting a healthier lifestyle is a major part of chelation therapy. In fact, doctors who don't believe in it ascribe improvements not to chelation but to the health- enhancing steps that are inherent to the therapy. Dr. Magaziner explains that he works with patients on ways to improve their diet, exercise habits, stress levels and use of nutritional supplements. He reports that those few who don’t take care of themselves in a healthy fashion still show some improvement, but not the strides made by those who also are living healthfully.

The NIH study officially concludes in May 2007. Then we may have clinical evidence that chelation is the health boon thousands of patients and doctors believe… or the bust that its detractors insist it is.

Sources.

Allan Magaziner, DO, director, Magaziner Center for Wellness & Anti-Aging Medicine, Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and coauthor of four books on natural cures for cardiac problems. He is current president of the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM).