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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #94985
Title: EDTA CHELATION THERAPY DOES NOT SELECTIVELY INCREASE CHROMIUM LOSSES

Author
item Anderson, Richard
item Bryden, Noella
item WATERS, ROBERT - WATERS CLINIC, WISCONSIN

Submitted to: Biological Trace Element Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/11/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Chromium is an essential nutrient required for normal sugar and fat metabolism. Dietary intake of chromium is often sub-optimal. This may lead to important human health problems since insufficient dietary chromium is associated with increased risk factors associated with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Chelation therapy is a medical procedure used to bind toxic metals in the treatment of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and other chronic diseases. Since chelation therapy involves removal of toxic metals, it was not known what effect it would have on the binding of the beneficial metal, chromium. Our data demonstrate that chelation therapy does not increase chromium losses and therefore would have minimal effects on chromium nutritional status. This work is of benefit to the scientific and medical communities and patients undergoing this treatment.

Technical Abstract: Chelation therapy and supplemental Cr have both been shown to lead to improved blood glucose, lipids and insulin activity. Chelation therapy leads to the removal of toxic as well as essential metals. To determine if chelation therapy leads to increased urinary Cr losses and altered Cr homeostasis, two groups of subjects, one group that had undergone only one or no chelation therapy and one group in which all subjects had undergone at least 19 chelation sessions were evaluated for differences in possible Cr homeostasis based upon urinary Cr losses. There were no significant differences in urinary Cr losses between the two groups of subjects and there were no significant increases in urinary Cr losses due to chelation therapy. Increases in urinary Cr losses were strongly influenced by supplementation but not chelation therapy.