Coronary events are currently the leading cause of death among men and women. In fact, these are often the most common deaths of people in the United States. While most often coronary conditions are treated through lifestyle changes such as ceasing smoking, losing weight, lowering blood pressure, medications or surgeries, other treatments such as oral Chelation Therapy are on the rise.

In this type of therapy, an ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid or EDTA solution, not yet approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration is often used to provide relief. Even without such approval, a study in 2007 showed that there were over 10,000 people in the United States opting for this treatment. Ultimately, the substance provides a chemical process using molecules to bind and hold metals and minerals in the body in place.

The therapy was originally used to eliminate toxic and excess metals from the body. EDTA has had some uses in Western medicine, mostly with regards to iron overload and lead poisoning. Whereas, when used to treat heart disease, a health care provider generally administers a series of injections into the veins over time which include disodium EDTA, a man made amino acid. In most cases, the treatment requires individuals to complete thirty or more infusions which can often take several hours per visit, most often on a weekly basis.

To decipher whether or not this therapy may be effective, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health or NCCIH in conjunction with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute sponsored a trial with regards to the benefits of these infusions in individuals with a negative cardiovascular medical history. Ultimately, the trial proved that the infusions did in fact provide the most reduction in cardiovascular events, though only in individuals whom also had diabetes.

Diabetic individuals made up 1/3 of the participants in the chelation therapy group. These individuals showed a forty one percent drop in heart attacks and a forty percent risk of death from heart disease, non-fatal heart attacks or stroke. In addition, forty three percent reported a reduction in death from other causes and a fifty percent reduction in repetitive heart attacks. Whereas, non-diabetic individuals showed no significant benefits from chelation therapy.

The study also looked at individuals taking high dose minerals and vitamins along with the infusions. In most cases, the study showed that the combination provided the most reduction in risk of heart attacks versus the individuals whom were only given placebos during the trial.

Sixteen percent of individuals receiving chelation therapy and fifteen percent provided placebos during the trial halted the injections due to complications. The results included four major events, including two deaths, one death in the placebo group and one in the chelation group. To date, the most prominent side effect appears to be a burning sensation at the injection site during the infusion.

More research is needed before it can be determined if chelation therapy provides the best treatment for heart attack victims, especially those living with diabetes. As a result, the results reflected in this article or current research studies do not provide enough detailed information in order to make a final decision. Regardless, researchers and scientists are hopeful that future studies and trials will provide more positive results.