Apparent failure of edetic acid chelation therapy for the treatment of coronary atherosclerosis

Patients diagnosed with incurable or fatal diseases may seek alternatives to standard medical therapy and spend significant amounts of money for these therapies. One alternative medical therapy, chelation therapy with edetic acid (EDTA), has gained considerable popularity for the alleged treatment of atherosclerotic vascular disease; however, its efficacy for this indication remains unproven and its use is controversial. We present a case in which chelation therapy was unsuccessful in treating coronary atherosclerosis and review reports that substantiate a lack of efficacy using chelation therapy in the treatment of coronary atherosclerosis. Treatment of atherosclerotic-related diseases using chelation therapy should be discouraged by health professionals. Patients should be counseled regarding the risk of improper diagnosis and treatment of their disease.