Chelation therapy

As chelation therapy, the therapeutic application of chelating agents is known. This complexing agents such as EDTA, DMSA, DMPS (trade name and Others Dimaval ) or unithiol be administered orally or by infusion. For the protocol-compliant application of Chelatsubstanzen in acute intoxications, the poison centers are available such as GIZ Nord. The treatment of chronic exposures requires less aggressive measures. Specific protocols for detoxification of chronic metal exposure are now being used by environmental health professionals and members of the German Medical Society for Clinical Metal Toxicology.

Heavy metal detoxification

Chelates are used in evidence-based medicine since the 1940s, when severe poisoning by heavy metals. After switching off the cause of poisoning (termination of exposure), the use of chelating agents is the next most important form of therapy.

Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, and others are stored in the body and accumulate, for example, in lead poisoning in the tissue, such as in the bone to. Also for the removal of the original source of the body remains the load which is caused by gradual release of the stored heavy metal from the body is suspended. Chelating agents accelerate the natural elimination of heavy metals accumulated in the body, by complexing divalent ions.

Furthermore, Wilson's disease, a metabolic disease that copper accumulates in the body, treated with chelating agents.

Alternative Medicine

Alternative Medical chelating agents ( DMSA and DMPS in particular ) are used for discharging even with low heavy metal pollution when certain symptoms are present.

In addition, chelation therapies have long been with the slogan " Drano for the arteries " advertised. This EDTA is administered intravenously as infusions, as a rule 20 to 30 such infusions are prescribed at a distance of a few days. In alternative medicine, they are mainly used for circulatory disorders as a result of atherosclerosis. Any bypass surgery of the coronary arteries should be unnecessary. In addition, smoking legs to heal, blood pressure and blood sugar levels to drop, angina pectoris subside.

It has long been claimed by the users, by the chelation therapy would be the so-called plaques, the deposits on the vessel walls in atherosclerosis, dissolved. These deposits consist primarily of calcium salts and cholesterol. Through these deposits, the hardened vessels constrict. The injected EDTA was supposed to wash out the calcium and so " freely " the arteries again. This concept could be confirmed neither in experimental studies are still in controlled clinical trials, appropriate studies showed no detectable effect. The deposits consist not only of calcium.

Meanwhile, the users themselves admit that the theory was wrong: " Chelation therapy is not, as previously thought, a kind of ' Drano '. Before you knew something about the pathology of free radicals, the working hypothesis about the mechanism of action of EDTA was that chelation therapy had its most significant healing effect in the change of calcium metabolism. (...) This model of thinking (...) is actually not crucial (...). The fact that EDTA binds freely available calcium is now regarded as one of the least important aspects of its mode of action. " The now popular theory states that metals promote adverse effects of free radicals and thus the aging process in the body. This assumption has not yet been proven by independent scientific studies.

The gift of a chelator is also used medically as an alternative for the diagnosis of subclinical heavy metal poisoning. This application is not approved, scientifically refuted and rejected by professional societies.

Risks and side effects

Proponents of alternative chelation therapy claim: " Under the expert implementation of a physician this type of therapy is as safe as the medication with aspirin tablets. " When normal side effects are symptoms such as chills, mild heart pain, dizziness, body aches, fatigue, fever and headache specified. The risk of hazardous incidents amounts to 1:10,000.

However, not only heavy metals Basically, in an EDTA treatment washed out of the body, but also minerals and trace elements. There may be a disorder of calcium metabolism with the result of cardiac arrhythmias, seizures, and in extreme cases, respiratory arrest. It is known deaths. May also occur due to calcium deficiency bleeding disorders, further are kidney failure and damage to the bone marrow possible. Side effects occur in the form of dermatoses on by Zn2 ion losses.

Assessment

In case of serious poisoning with heavy metals, the use of chelating agents is considered to be meaningful.

The heavy metal alternative medicine is rejected by the scientific medicine. American and German Medical Associations and the American FDA who in 1984 warned of the chelation therapy. In 1998, the chelation therapy has the consumer magazine of the FDA, " FDA Consumer " classified in the " Top Ten" as " health fraud," recognized methods. No independent scientific study has so far proved a success of the method. "Between 1963 and 1985, independent physicians published at least fifteen separate reports documenting the case histories of more than seventy patients who had received chelation treatments. They found no evidence of change in the atherosclerotic disease process, no decrease in the size of atherosclerotic plaques, and no evidence did Narrowed arteries opened resist. " ( Between 1963 and 1985, independent scientists have published at least 15 reports in which they of the cases document on 70 patients who were treated with chelation therapy. they found no evidence of a change in the disease process in atherosclerosis, no reduction of plaques and no evidence that narrowed arteries had become on.)

Also a published in 2002 independent randomized placebo-controlled study with 84 patients showed no evidence of effect. Both in the chelation group and in the control group who received placebo injected as saline solutions, each participant suffered a heart attack during the study.

The cost of chelation therapy for atherosclerosis are not covered by the statutory health insurance. The German chelation society is the cost per infusion of 100 to 150 euros.