"EDTA chelation therapy is an alternative to coronary artery bypass surgery and angioplasty that may prove to be more effective; it is definitely safer and less expensive…
EDTA (ethylnediaminetetraacetic acid) is an amino-acid like molecule that, when slowly infused into the bloodstream, chelates (binds) with minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, and lead and carries them to the kidneys, where they are excreted. EDTA chelation has been commonly used for lead poisoning, but in the late fifties and early sixties it was found to help patients with atherosclerosis.
…Between 1956 and 1960 Dr. Norman Clarke and his colleagues treated 283 patients with EDTA chelation therapy. 87% showed improvements in their symptoms. Heart patients got better, angina disappeared or was significantly improved, and patients with blocked leg arteries – particularly those with diabetes – avoided amputation.
It was originally thought that EDTA opened blocked arteries by chelating out the calcium deposits in the cholesterol plaque. However, it now seems that the therapeutic effect results from chelating out excess iron and copper – minerals that, in the presence of oxygen stimulate free radicals. Free radicals damage the cells in the artery and are primary cause of atherosclerosis…
In spite of obvious benefits to heart patients EDTA fell into disfavor in the mid-sixties. Advocates of EDTA use believe that this occurred for two reasons: the lucrative surgical approach to heart and vessel disease was o the rise, and the patent on EDTA that was held by ABBOTT Laboratories expired, so there was no financial motivation for drug companies to fund any research…
…There have not been any deaths or significant adverse reactions in over 500,000 patients who have undergone EDTA chelation therapy. Because EDTA chelation improves blood flow throughout the body, the “side effects” are usually beneficial and only a few adverse effects are noticed (most often the only side effect is irritation at the site of injection).
There now exists a substantial body of scientific evidence on the use of EDTA chelation therapy in the treatment of angina, peripheral vascular disease, and cerebral vascular disease. Since 1987, numerous FDA approved studies have demonstrated some impressive results…"