Table of Contents
Preliminary Statement
The purpose of this Position Paper is to address and elaborate
on questions pertaining to physician administration of EDTA chelation
therapy in accordance with ACAM's protocol. This therapy has
been safely and effectively utilized by physicians throughout
the nation and hundreds of thousands of patients have received
demonstrable benefit from it.
Introduction
The American College for Advancement in Medicine("ACAM")
was founded in 1973 as a non-profit corporation and is presently
comprised of approximately 750 licensed physicians, many of whom
are engaged in the treatment of, or research in, occlusive vascular
disease and its related fields. Member physicians study and use
innovative and advanced cardiovascular therapies that involve,
inter alia, the early detection and identification of risk
factors in patients and intensive education in modifying the individual
patient's lifestyle to alter such risk factors. Among the purposes
of ACAM are to advance support for and to further research in
the application of EDTA chelation therapy and other sound innovative
therapies for occlusive vascular disease and degenerative diseases
associated with aging. As a professional organization, ACAM presents
biannual educational seminars to its membership which qualify
for ACCME Category 1 Continuing Medical Education credits.
It is ACAM's position, as more fully explained in the discussion
that ensues, that chelation therapy is a valid and proper course
of treatment, based upon scientific rationale, supported by many
published clinical studies, and consistent with sound medical
practice. Restricting its use by qualified physicians would amount
to a wholly unneeded restraint upon the practice of medicine that
would adversely affect the standard of medical care available
to patients. Such restriction would be contrary to law and a
disservice to the public.
Therapeutic History of Chelation Therapy
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid ("EDTA") is a synthetic
amino acid first used in the 1940's for treatment of heavy metal
poisoning. It is widely recognized as effective for that use
as well as certain others, including emergency treatment of hypercalcemia
and the control of ventricular arrhythmias associated with digitalis
toxicity. Studies by the National Academy of Sciences/National
Research Council in the late 1960's indicated that EDTA was considered
possibly effective in the treatment of occlusive vascular disorders
caused by arteriosclerosis.
Clinical experience with EDTA chelation therapy has convinced
substantial numbers of licensed physicians in North America that
it is a safe and effective treatment for atherosclerotic vascular
disease, as it consistently improves blood flow and relieves symptoms
associated with the disease in greater than 80% of the patients
treated. As members of the medical profession are generally aware,
the pathogenesis of atherosclerotic disease is extraordinarily
complex. The scientific principles underlying the efficacy of
EDTA chelation therapy in impeding each step of the disease process
are beyond the scope of this position paper, but they are elaborated
upon in the many published clinical studies and research papers
available.