Alt Med - Chelation Therapy (19 of 20)

(from quackwatch.org)

Chelation therapy is a series of intravenous infusions containing disodium (EDTA) and various other substances. It is a method of removing certain heavy metals from the bloodstream

Proponents claim that chelation is effective against: atherosclerosis; coronary heart disease; peripheral vascular disease; arthritis; multiple sclerosis; Parkinson's disease; psoriasis; Alzheimer's disease; problems with vision, hearing, smell, muscle coordination, and sexual potency. It is also used to treat nonexistent "lead poisoning," "mercury poisoning," and other alleged toxic states that practitioners diagnose with tests on blood, urine, and/or hair.

Chelation has legitimate use in a few situations, such as removing true toxic metals from the blood using EDTA and treating iron-overload from multiple transfusions using deferoxamine (Desferol)

Summary:

Research in support of chelation therapy for improvement in any medical condition, other than the need to remove toxic metals in the blood, is anecdotal or from poorly designed experiments.