CHELATION THERAPY IS A non- surgical alternative to open heart surgery and more. It is an easy into administer therapy that has been given successfully to about half a million patients in the United States alone, for the past thirty years, and with no dangerous side effects.

How is Chelation administered and by whom? Chelation therapy consists of the administration of a synthetic amino acid, ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid EDTA), combined with vitamins and minerals. Chelation is given through a small needle in an intravenous infusion lasting approximately 3 hours.

The protocol and guidelines for testing and treatment have been established by the American College for the Advancement in Medicine (ACAM). This organization is run very responsibly and efficiently by a board of committed medical pioneers. To date, ACAM has approximately 500 members, both medical doctors and doctors of osteopathy. The educational branch of this organization is the American Chelation Board, which provides training in chelation therapy and associated nutritional/biochemical medicine. it also administers tests to organization members to ascertain their ability to safely administer chelation therapy. The Board examination consists of a written test followed by an oral examination, generally one year later. Thereafter, in order to retain certification, every five years physicians must take a special course to refresh their knowledge of chelation. They also attend a national advanced educational meeting twice a year. Since we have been under fire for practicing a therapy that mainstream medicine has for so long maligned, we have had to be "better than equal".

Before undergoing chelation, it is important to inquire whether or not the physician in charge has been certified by our Academy. These guidelines not only provide patients with a guarantee of proficiency in the administration of chelation therapy, but have also made it possible to be free of casualties - a fact of which we are enormously proud.

What Does Chelation Do? EDTA, the main component of chelation therapy has the capacity to bind with toxic heavy metals, such as lead, cadmium, aluminum, and mercury, and pull them out of the body in the urine, through the kidneys. This is why physicians who administer chelation check the kidney function so frequently. Toxic metals are responsible for many diseases from hypertension, to Alzheimer’s, to various cardiovascular problems, to hyperactivity in children, to cancer. These toxins poison the cellular enzymes responsible for the health of the entire body. Such toxic heavy metals are ubiquitous. They are ever present in our water supply, the air we breathe, and in the foods we eat. They have been found in remote areas, delivered by rainfall. Because these heavy metals are responsible for cellular aging and degenerative diseases, their removal is, conversely, responsible for cellular rejuvenation and general good health. This is why most physicians who administer chelation, including myself, use it preventively on ourselves and our families.

EDTA also has a great affinity for calcium. After it has taken care of the toxic metals, for which it has the highest affinity, EDTA will bind to calcium in the blood and eliminate it through the urine, as it does with the heavy metals. This in turn triggers a response from the parathyroid (small gland about the thyroid) which is responsible for the homeostasis of calcium in the blood. The parathyroid hormone will promote the mobilization of calcium from the multiple small plaques scattered in the vessels throughout the body. The heart, brain, extremities, and all internal organs including the kidneys are the beneficiaries of this therapy. The removal of calcium from plaques and the restored function of the enzymes cleaned up by EDTA are responsible for the generalized increased blood flow. This increased blood flaw promotes optimal oxygen transport to the cells of the entire body. Patients who have received chelation therapy are universally renewed energy and goad memories. Many inoperable patients have been able to resume better than normal lifestyles after chelation therapy.

If It Is So Good, Why Is It Not Universally Accepted? First of all, we must realize that innovative medical ideas have traditionally been embattled by the establishment. In the case of chelation therapy the reaction of special interest groups have been even more fierce. The pharmaceutical industry has invested millions of dollars to forestall the inevitable progress of this therapy. In spite of this, I however, and because of the evidence of its result, the FDA has finally after years of negotiations, allowed us to start a double blind study. This study is in progress, being conducted at Walter Reed Army Hospital, as well as two other military hospitals. We expect the study to be completed and the results to be disclosed within a year.

Why Has There Been So Much I Opposition To Chelation Therapy? Patients who undergo chelation therapy more often than not, come to us with a multitude of medications. Some of these medications are to treat their primary condition and some are to treat the side effects of the first medications, Inevitably the need for these drugs is eliminated or reduced to a minimum when they complete chelation therapy.

Chelation therapy also encroaches on the multimillion dollar cardiac surgery industry. Another factor in this equation is the lifestyle extension that chelation affords its patients. This otherwise desirable outcome might not be seen favorably by administrators of Social Security benefits. In this aspect, we have to realize that as preventive medicine takes hold, our aging population will no longer need the very costly crisis-intervention medicine. Of the large percentage of the GNP, which represents the cost of health care, (and is increasing daily), only 2 to 5 percent is utilized by office practice. Preventive medicine practiced in physician’s offices, if broadly accepted, could reduce the cost of medicine to less than half. Furthermore, patients involved in preventive measures seldom need to utilize crisis-interventions. Unless this concept becomes widespread the upward spiraling costs of high technology medicine will bite into the GNP at an even higher rate. There is no doubt, however, that if everyone utilized chelation therapy tomorrow, within 20 years the need younger looking and endowed with for medications and crisis intervention would be reduced drastically. This encroaches upon the economical interests of special interest groups.

If I Do Chelation, Do I Do Anything Else But Visit My Physician’s Office Once Or Twice A Week For The Length Of The Treatment?  The infusion of chelation therapy is one of the multi-system interventions needed to reverse cardiovascular disorders and other degenerative diseases, in order to rejuvenate all systems of the body. It stands to reason that this has to be accompanied by the cessation of smoking, alcohol control, proper diet, and regular exercise. At my Center we insist on stress management as well.

Stress control is the most important aspect in the reversal of arteriosclerosis. We have been aware of the avant-garde concepts promulgated by the brilliant Belgian-Canadian physician. Hans Selye. He had demonstrated the wide-spread damaging effects of stress on the whole - body, including the thymus, the central regulator of the immune system. 

Recently, a study was conducted on the effects of exercise, nutrition, and stress management on regression of plaques in the vessels.  Patients were divided into groups - one that received nutrition and exercise, and another that added stress management to the protocol. It was found that the second group did better by far, and therefore, stress management was the decisive factor - in the reduction of cardiovascular plaques. This has always been my experience as well. Stress management in the form of biofeedback, progressive relaxation training, or counseling is enormously valuable during chelation treatment, as well as in the reversal of any disease process. it is therefore imperative that patient’s who wish to undertake this very innovative and effective therapy include stress management, exercise, proper nutrition, and oral supplementation of minerals and vitamins to their protocol for best results. Once the reason for utilizing chelation therapy has been reversed, patients are left with the heritage of a new way to cope with the increasing difficulties of modern life; a way that promotes health maintenance.

Dr. Corsello is an innovative complementary physician with offices on Long Island and in Manhattan. She is a board member of A CAM.