Chelation therapy for coronary heart disease: An overview of all clinical investigations.
BACKGROUND
Chelation therapy is popular in the United States. The question of whether it does more good than harm remains controversial.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this systematic review was to summarize all the clinical evidence for or against the effectiveness and efficacy of chelation therapy for coronary heart disease.


METHODS
A thorough search strategy was implemented to retrieve all clinical investigations regardless of whether they were controlled or uncontrolled.


RESULTS
The most striking finding is the almost total lack of convincing evidence for efficacy. Numerous case reports and case series were found. The majority of these publications seem to indicate that chelation therapy is effective. Only 2 controlled clinical trials were located. They provide no evidence that chelation therapy is efficacious beyond a powerful placebo effect.


CONCLUSIONS
Given the potential of chelation therapy to cause severe adverse effects, this treatment should now be considered obsolete.
Ernst
E
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Department of Complementary Medicine, School of Postgraduate Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, United Kingdom. E.Ernst@exeter.ac.uk
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002614:Chelating Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015913:Chelation Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D018849:Controlled Clinical Trials as Topic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002614:Chelating Agents; D004492:Edetic Acid