Heavy Metal Chelation, Heart Disease and Optimizing Health

Chelation Treatment

Chelation treatment involves the use medications including EDTA and DMSA and supportive botanicals and nutrients to lower the body burden of toxic heavy metals including lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic.

In our practice we have identified through provocative urine testing that up to 50% of our patients have elevated levels of heavy metals contributing to fatigue, migraine, joint and muscle pain, cognitive decline and memory issues, digestive issues and most importantly cardiovascular disease.

Studies

It has been shown through a recent NIH supported study (TACT) that chelation with EDTA can reduce the risk of progressive heart disease, especially in diabetics. In this study of 1,708 patients across the US and Canada, chelation reduced cardiovascular events in patients who were over 50 and had previously experienced a heart attack. The results of this randomized, double-blind study were even more profound for diabetic patients, who experienced a 43% reduction in death from any cause over five years.

EDTA, which is administered intravenously, has been in use for over 50 years and is extremely safe and well tolerated. The TACT  study concluded: “The experience with 55,222 infusions of EDTA shows that this therapy is extremely safe.” DMSA is given orally and is especially helpful for mercury burden and is also very well tolerated.

Testing & Process

Heavy metals are a tremendous stress on the body’s anti-oxidant defense and disrupt hundreds of enzyme systems throughout the body as well as in the walls of blood vessels. Chelators attach to these metals and bring them out of the body through the kidney allowing the body to recover normal metabolic function.

We test for heavy metals through blood and urine. Many of these toxins are so wide spread in our food, water and air that they can be found elevated in testing even without a history of specific exposure. Reducing the body burden of these toxins goes a long way to help with many different symptoms and ensure optimum health."