The NIH TACT Study of  EDTA
 Chelation Therapy Proves Significant Benefit

     At the American Heart Association meeting in Los Angeles on November 4, 2012, Dr. Gervasio Lamas, principal investigator, presented results of the NIH-sponsored Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT). This randomized, placebo-controlled study of 1,708 patients showed  that intravenous disodium EDTA chelation therapy decreased subsequent cardiac events with statistical significance, when compared to a control group of similar patients who received placebo.

    Cardiologists from prestigious medical schools, including the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic, and Johns Hopkins, joined a total of 134 medical centers across the U.S. and Canada who participated in this study, at a cost of $30 million. Statistical analysis showed benefits to be highly significant.

    Cardiac events that were reduced included fewer deaths, fewer heart attacks, and fewer strokes, less need for cardiovascular surgery, and fewer hospitalizations for heart problems. Chelation therapy shown to be safe, without any serious side effects. Patients experienced increasing benefits during the time that they were studied−up to five years thus far.

    Forty 3-hour intravenous infusions of EDTA were administered during 30 weekly sessions, followed by 10 more treatments once per month.

    All patients in the study had previously suffered with a well documented heart attack. Results showed effectiveness at reducing their overall death rate, with fewer heart and vascular events. Diabetic patients appeared to do particularly well.

    The investigators concluded that intravenous EDTA chelation therapy can safely  provides important benefits for heart disease patients, who were already on more traditional therapies before receiving chelation.

     These findings were unexpected by cardiologists, who have long disparaged EDTA chelation therapy. Additional research will be sought to confirmation these findings. Studies to explore the mechanism of action are also needed.

Copyright © 2012 Elmer M. Cranton, M.D., all rights reserved

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