Although chelation therapy was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the 1940s for the sole purpose of bonding with toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, gadolinium and cadmium, more than 1 million individuals have used one form of the therapy, an intravenous injection of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for relief from a wide range of circulatory problems.

EDTA encircles and carries away unwanted matter from the body via excretion in the urine. Since 1973, the American College for the Advancement of Medicine has been educating physicians about the numerous uses of EDTA chelation therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease. Today, the intravenous infusion may include vitamins, magnesium and a saline or dextrose solution, according to an individual’s needs.

A recommended series of 30 treatments, which can only be administered by a physician, is accompanied by comprehensive testing before, during and after chelation. “The accumulation of toxic metals in the body’s tissues can lead to elevated blood pressure, the risk of heart disease and neurodegenerative conditions,” says Robert DiDonato, M.D. He notes that preliminary study results from the American Heart Association’s 2012 Scientific Sessions indicate that a chelation regimen is safe in the context of a clinical trial, and may offer benefits to some patients with coronary heart disease. The study manuscript is currently under peer review.

DiDonato recalls his first encounter with chelation therapy while he was a resident in nuclear medicine. “I set out to dispute my grandfather’s decision to stop taking nitroglycerine for his angina after he completed his treatment series, but after attending an American College for the Advancement in Medicine seminar, I changed my mind,” says DiDonato. He specializes in chelation therapy, which he considers a measure of prevention and wellness, stating, “It reduces the root cause of most diseases—inflammation.”

A family history of heart disease led Gary Gallo, a medical doctor with the Chelation Center of Naples, to use chelation therapy to reduce his own high mercury levels. “Mercury attacks the nervous system, kidneys and heart,” notes Gallo. He explains that the presence of heavy metals in the body helps free radicals to form, which can lead to the buildup of plaque in the arteries, as well as irregularities in heart rhythm, arthritis-like joint pain, chronic fatigue, motor dysfunction and declined mental acuity. Gallo, like DiDonato, believes that physicians should not limit chelation to detoxification. “It can help any health condition, because it increases circulation, which naturally offers more oxygen to all parts of the body,” he says.

Robert A. DiDonato, M.D., Advanced Medicine, 3677 Central Ave., Ste. K, Fort Myers.239-461-0330.

Gary Gallo, M.D., Chelation Center of Naples, 975 Imperial Golf Course Blvd., Ste. 107, Naples. 239-594-9355. ChelationCenterofNaples.com.