Inefficacy of EDTA Chelation Therapy for Coronary Atherosclerosis

Abstract

To the Editor: The role of EDTA in the treatment of atherosclerotic disease is extremely controversial. Although the agent has been promoted for more than three decades as a means of promoting regression of atherosclerosis, there are no prospective, controlled studies that convincingly demonstrate such an effect. Unfortunately, chelation therapy remains attractive to patients seeking an alternative to surgical intervention for occlusive vascular disorders, and it continues to receive support in the popular press and certain segments of the medical community.We describe a quantitative assessment of the efficacy of "chelation endarterectomy" for coronary atherosclerosis in a patient who underwent . . .