Chelation Therapy is an investigational therapy using an amino acid (EDTA). It is added to the blood through a vein. It is safe, effective and a relatively inexpensive treatment to restore blood flow in victims of atherosclerosis without surgery and patients with symptoms of heavy metal toxicity like mercury of lead, especially children with autism, ADD or chronic fatigue. Patients with blockages and poor circulation in their heart, extremities and other parts of their bodies often find relief without surgical intervention and heavy medication.

• What is Chelation Therapy used for?
• What is EDTA?
• What about the side effects?
• Is Chelation Therapy FDA Apporved?
• How does Chelation Therapy Affect Health?
• How does Oral and Suppository Chelators compare to IV Chelation?
• What are the Interactions Between Chelation Therapy and Other Treatments for Artery Disease?
• Relative Contraindications
• How Will I Be Able
• to Tell if Chelation Therapy Has Helped Me?
• Can Chelation Therapy be Used After Bypass Surgery?
• What About the Treatment and Staff at APMR?
• Does Insurance pay for Chelation Therapy?

What is Chelation Therapy used for?
 

Chelation Therapy is used to reverse symptoms of hardening of the arteries and blockages. This is caused by multiple complex factors, including abnormal accumulations of metallic elements. The end results is plaque formation within the arteries.

What is EDTA?

EDTA is an amino acid that removes undesirable metals from the body. All metals, even essential nutritional elements, are toxic in excess of when abnormally situated. EDTA normalizes the distribution of most metallic elements in the body.  For years Chelation Therapy has been commonly used as the treatment for lead poisoning in children and adults.

What about the side effects?

Chelation Therapy is among the safest of medical procedures. More than 500,000 patients have received over ten million treatments during the past 40 years. Not one death has been directly caused by Chelation Therapy, when properly administered by a physician who was fully trained and competent in the use of this therapy. Side effects are possible, as with any medication, mild pain, headache and fatigue may occur. Occasionally a mild and transient fever occurs. These and other minor side affects, if they occur, are easily controlled by adjusting the duration and frequency of treatment, or with the use of other simple measures.  Side effects tend to diminish after the first few treatments.  Most patients experience few or no side effects.  For years, Chelation Therapy has been commonly used as treatment for lead poisoning in Children and adults.

Is Chelation Therapy FDA Approved? 

While the FDA has approved marketing claims for the safe use of EDTA to treat lead poisoning and several other conditions, treatment of atherosclerosis is not yet an allowable claim for inclusion in the marketing literature of EDTA.  A licensed physician is free to utilize any acceptable therapy, which in his or her professional judgment is of potential benefit, even if the FDA does not yet approve the advertising claims for treatment.  The FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine; it only limits marketing and advertising claims for drugs.

How does Chelation Therapy Affect Health?

Chelation Therapy promotes health by correcting the major underlying cause of arterial hardening and blockage. Damaging oxygen free radicals are increased by the presence of metallic elements and act as a chronic irritant to blood vessel walls and cell membranes. EDTA removes those metallic irritants, allowing leaky and damaged cell walls to heal. Plaques smooth over and shrink, allowing more blood to pass. EDTA also safely removes calcium from arterial walls so that they become softer and more pliable, allowing easier expansion. Scientific studies have proven that blood flow increases after Chelation Therapy.

How does Oral and Suppository Chelators compare to IV Chelation?

Oral or suppository "chelators" are essentially vitamin and mineral supplements that contain some EDTA. However, while 100 percent of EDTA-administered intravenously is absorbed into the bloodstream, only about 5 percent of EDTA administered orally is absorbed. The rest passes through the gastrointestinal tract. In short there's simply no comparison between IV chelation and so-called "oral and suppository chelators" says Julian Whitaker, M.D
 

What are the Interactions Between Chelation Therapy and Other Treatments for Artery Disease?

Chelation Therapy can be utilized in conjunction with most other therapies for cardiovascular disease. EDTA is compatible with blood thinners, blood vessel dilators, medicines for blood pressure and heartarrhythmias, calcium blockers and beta blockers. The need for drugs is often reduced or eliminated after a course of Chelation Therapy.

Relative Contraindications

If a patient is taking a drug that has a metallic element as an active ingredient (certain platinum containing chemotherapeutic agents for example). You should consult your physician.  Tuberculosis, pregnancy, nursing, and kidney disease are also relative contraindications, as are any condition where the blood platelets are low.

How Will I Be Able to Tell if Chelation Therapy Has Helped Me?

Patients routinely report reduciton or elimation of their symptoms with an increasing sense of well being after Chelation Therapy. Family and friends are often the first to notice and report improvement in appearance, behavior, and performance. Comparison of pre and post therapy diagnostic tests can provide objective evidence of effectiveness.

There have been two massive (meta-analysis) of published and unpublished studies, evaluating the results of over 24,000 Chelation patients. The results: 88% of the patients demonstrated clinical improvement.

Can Chelation Therapy be Used After Bypass Surgery?

Yes! Although Chelation Therapy us best utilized to avoid bypass surgery, many patients who have previously undergone one or more bypass procedures, often with little or no lasting benefit, have subsequently benefited greatly from Chelation Therapy. If all else fails, including Chelation Therapy, bypass remains available as an option.

What About the Treatment and Staff at APMR?

All of your treatments are prescribed by and supervised by a Medical Physician. It is not necessary to have a referral from your primary care physician. A Medical Physician reviews your test results and monitors your progress. At the Arkansas Center for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (APMR) we are trained in the administration of EDTA Chelation Therapy. We will request and secure any neccessary health records from your doctor(s) and fully cooperate and coordinate with them.

Does Insurance pay for Chelation Therapy?

Most insurance companies don't reimburse for Chelation Treatments, Medicare does not.

Chelation is one of the most powerful, yet least expensive and safest treatments for heart disease in existence. The bottom line Chelation Therapy, which is less than 1/10 the cost of bypass surgery, represents a significant threat to one of the largest income streams for conventional practitioners. Clearly, if EDTA Chelation had a large pharmaceutical company advocating its use, it would, at the very least, be integrated into the standard, AMA approved treatment of heart disease, but the patent for EDTA ran nearly 30 years ago. No patent means no profit, and if the medical industry can't profit from Chelation, this safe, inexpensive, powerful treatment may as well not exists

Have You Ever Had a Heart Attack? Are You Age 50 or Older?

If you answered "yes" to both questions, you may be eligible to take part in a national study of investigational treatment - Chelation Therapy and Vitamin Therapy - for people with Heart Disease.

How Do I Qualify?

You have to have a documentable heart attack. This can be done through an EKG, lab work, or other cardiovascular diagnostic test that would have taken place at the time of your heart attack. We simply have to get a copy of that confirmatory documentation. You must also be 50 years of age or older and have not smoked in the last three months.

What is the purpose of this study?

The purpose of this research is to scientifically prove the effects of Chelation therapy in treating heart disease. This research program is being performed nationwide in association with the National Institute of Health, Mt. Sinai Hospital, and Duke University. Arkansas Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation is the only free standing clinic, in the state, that has been approved by the National Institute of Health for participation in this study. The only other facilities that have been approved, in the state are two other hospitals.

What will the study involve?

As a study participant, you will be assigned to receive Chelation Therapy or its placebo pills. All participants will receive low dose vitamin and mineral supplements. It is important that you continue to take your standard heart disease medications during the course of Chelation Therapy. Chelation Therapy will not interfere with your current cardiovascular medication.

What are the costs?

Study related treatments would be provided at no cost. This includes laboratory studies and the Chelation Therapy itself.

If you are interested in learning more about the research program, please contact our office at 501-374-1153.

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