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What is Chelation Therapy?

Cardiovascular disease causes half of all death and disability in the United States.  At any one time, more than forty million men and women suffer with symptoms of heart disease, America’s number one killer.  Coronary ailments continue at epidemic proportions, with more than one million people dying each year.  Many are struck down without warning while others succumb after years of painful, debilitating angina. Angina is a sign that coronary arteries are not delivering enough blood to some areas of the heart.  More than one million Americans undergo heart bypass surgery and balloon angioplasty every year.  Coronary artery bypass surgery is a procedure in which blocked portions of major coronary arteries are bypassed with grafts from a patient’s leg veins.  Coronary balloon angioplasty, with or without stents, is equally popular.  These procedures are currently the most frequent surgical solutions to the nation’s leading medical problem.  Over the past three decades, the frequency and the cost of heart bypass operations have escalated with the industry now reaching $26 billion annually.  The cost for balloon angioplasties and stents doubles that figure.  These procedures are not nearly as safe or as effective as one might think.  Sadly, the majority of these risky and expensive procedures are recommended as the only option without first trying a much safer, simple, inexpensive and noninvasive office procedure called EDTA chelation therapy. 

Chelation therapy is a non-surgical medical treatment that improves metabolic and circulatory function in many different ways by rebalancing and removing metal ions in the body.  This is accomplished by administering a synthetic amino acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) by an intravenous infusion.  The therapy is done in a doctor’s office.  Chelation therapy may be one of the best-kept medical secrets.  In recent years, almost as many patients are being chelated as bypassed and with good results.  There is a forty year record of safety with chelation therapy.

The bypass approach treats the sites of plaque development in areas of localized blockage.  However, the same degenerating condition affects the entire cardiovascular system.  Chelation therapy offers systemic benefits.  Even if a person has already had bypass surgery or angioplasty, chelation therapy can thus be a complementary therapy.  Unlike the surgical and invasive approach that in effect assumes that vascular disease is a localized ailment, chelation therapy addresses the fact that the condition affects not only individual arteries, such as the coronaries around the heart, but also the arteries to many other organs in the body including the tiniest arterioles and capillaries in fingers, toes and brain.

Perhaps the most important benefit of chelation therapy is in the control of free radicals.  We have been hearing more and more about free radicals in the past two decades, but many people do not have a clear understanding of what they are and how they create damage in the body, contributing to disease and aging.  In Bypassing Bypass Surgery, Elmer Cranton, M.D. explains the free radical theory of degenerative disease building upon facts first uncovered in the 1960's which suggest that underlying most degenerative disease from heart attacks to cancer is excess free radical activity.  In contrast to surgical and other medical modalities, chelation theapy counteracts the underlying disease process of free radical pathology.  Once injected into the bloodstream, EDTA can remove causes of excess free radical production, protecting the tissues and organs from further damage.  Over time, these injections slow or halt the progress of the free radical damage—an important underlying condition triggering the development of atherosclerosis and many other age-related diseases.  This gives the body time to heal and allows restoration of blood flow through occluded arteries, thus relieving symptoms of arterial insufficiency in every part of the body.  Chelation rebalances a variety of metal ions within the body, including nutritional trace elements, improving health and metabolism in ways just beginning to be appreciated.  Even if a person is symptom free, with no indication of atherosclerotic plaque, some degree of free radical pathology is inevitable with aging.  Dr. Cranton points out that a slow breakdown of biochemical efficiency leads to interference with the body’s structure and functions.  This process starts in early adulthood and continues throughout life and can potentially lead to increasing debilitation later in life.  Genetics, environmental exposure, tobacco usage, diet, nutritional supplementation and lifestyle can all affect this process for better or worse.  For the individual who assumes responsibility for his or her health and does whatever possible in terms of lifestyle, diet, nutritional supplementation and so forth to protect and enhance health, chelation therapy offers another dimension.  In other words, a person does not have to have a known health problem to enjoy the protection offered by the therapy.  Chelation therapy can benefit healthy people who want to remain healthy by removing heavy metals and protecting against the free radical damage that leads to biological deterioration.

What do some experts say about chelation therapy?  James P. Carter, M.D., Dr. P.H., professor and chairman, Department of Nutrition at Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine says, “Chelation therapy alleviates the pain of angina and intermittent claudication and decreases symptoms of shortness of breath and fatigue in patients with coronary artery disease and peripheral vascular disease.”  Peter J. van der Schaar, M.D., Ph.D., cardiac surgeon and Director of the International Biomedical Center in the Netherlands claims that he “now achieves more lasting results with less risk, enhancing the benefits of surgery, and often avoiding surgery, by providing chelation therapy for my patients.” 

What is involved with getting chelation therapy at Preventive Medicine Group?

The first step is to come in for a consultation with the physician. At that time, a comprehensive health history and possibly a physical exam will be done. Diet as a foundation and nutritional supplements as therapeutic agents will be recommended. Laboratory testing that will involve blood, hair and urine tests of a conventional and nutritional nature as well as some non-invasive cardiovascular testing will also be ordered. Usually, this testing is done within a few days of the first visit and the patient returns in about 3-4 weeks for a follow-up visit at which time the doctor reviews the testing results and the patient reports their preliminary response to the doctor's initial recommendations. Chelation treatments are usually started subsequent to this follow-up visit.

What does a treatment consist of?

A chelation therapy treatment consists of being hooked up to an I.V. bottle for about 3 hours during the course of which a person sits in a recliner chair in a room with other people getting that or a similar treatment. There is no discomfort involved and a person is able to read, write, watch television, walk around, sleep or whatever helps pass the time.

How many and how often are the treatments?

At Preventive Medicine Group, there are 26 routine initial treatments in a course of chelation therapy. The first 20 treatments are two times a week and the next 6 treatments are every other week. For some people, there may be additional treatments thereafter depending on need.

Does private health insurance cover chelation therapy?

Chelation therapy for cardiovascular purposes is not covered by most insurance companies. Of the total chelation therapy program charges, there may be a small portion of the charges that represent conventional services such as office visits and conventional laboratory/vascular testing that may be covered depending on your policy. Our office does ask for full payment the day services are rendered and the patient files for their own health insurance coverage. If you have questions regarding your coverage, check with your insurance company. For further information regarding our office policy on insurance, speak with our patient counselor.

Does Medicare cover chelation therapy?

Medicare does not cover chelation therapy or any services associated with chelation therapy, even if it is a normally covered service, once chelation is begun. Medicare will help with some of the preliminary services prior to beginning chelation. A supplemental information sheet explaining Medicare coverage at Preventive Medicine Group is available. If you have additional questions, speak with our patient counselor.