Chelation therapy for intermittent claudication. A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial.
- 1 September 1994
- journal article
- clinical trial
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Circulation
- Vol. 90 (3), 1194-1199
- https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.90.3.1194
Abstract
The use of repeated intravenous infusions of EDTA, which has become known as "chelation therapy," has been promoted for treating intermittent claudication as well as a wide range of other disorders. Multiple reports of excellent results in large numbers of patients have encouraged the use of this regimen. The lack of well-controlled studies substantiating the benefits of this treatment has limited its use mainly to private clinics. The aim of the study was to assess the benefits of chelation therapy in patients with intermittent claudication. A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial included 32 patients with intermittent claudication who were randomized to a treatment group (15) and a control group (17). Main outcome measures were subjective and measured walking distances and ankle/brachial pulse indices. Other outcome measures included lifestyle and subjective parameters of improvement, cardiac function, ECG, renal function, hematology, blood glucose, and lipid biochemistry. No clinically significant differences in main outcome measures between chelation therapy and placebo groups were detected up to 3 months after treatment. Measures of mood state, activities of daily living, and quality of life factors were not consistently affected by chelation therapy. An equal proportion (13%) of each group thought that they had received the active agent. The proportion of patients showing an improvement in walking distance was not significantly different between the chelation group (60%) and the control group (59%). Chelation therapy has no significant beneficial effects over placebo in patients with intermittent claudication.Keywords
This publication has 10 references indexed in Scilit:
- EDTA treatment of intermittent claudication — a doubleblind, placebo‐controlled studyJournal of Internal Medicine, 1992
- Arteriographic findings in EDTA chelation therapy on peripheral arteriosclerosisThe American Journal of Surgery, 1991
- EDTA chelation therapy in chronic degenerative diseaseMedical Hypotheses, 1988
- Quantitation of malondialdehyde (MDA) in plasma, by ion-pairing reverse phase high performance liquid chromatographyBiochemical Medicine, 1985
- Chelation: miracle cure or false hope?The Medical Journal of Australia, 1985
- Chelation ClinicsArchives of Internal Medicine, 1984
- LASER DOPPLER MEASUREMENT OF BLOOD FLOW IN THE MICROCIRCULATIONPlastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 1978
- Validation of the role of pulsatility index in quantitation of the severity of peripheral arterial occlusive diseaseThe American Journal of Surgery, 1976
- THE LONG TERM USE, SIDE EFFECTS, AND TOXICITY OF DISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE TETRAACETIC ACID (EDTA)The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 1961
- THE “IN VIVO” DISSOLUTION OF METASTATIC CALCIUM AN APPROACH TO ATHEROSCLEROSISThe American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 1955