Because calcium is a component of atherosclerotic plaque, scientists hypothesized in the 1950s that EDTA might soften arteries by sequestering calcium ions. Other biochemical mechanisms abound, but to date, no large-scale, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study has published any data to support such claims.
Without substantial data backing the hypotheses, NCCAM and NHLBI are taking a big step in skipping pre-clinical and mechanistic studies. Christine Goertz, program director at NCCAM, explains the center's divergence from traditional NIH culture: "We are interested in jumping ahead to clinical therapies and looking at treatments that are widely used in the public."
The American Heart Association, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) refuse to recognize EDTA chelation therapy until sufficient studies are done, and their officers complain publicly about the hoax they believe treatment proponents are playing on the American public. But, supporters of the technique, including the American ...
