CHELATION
Complex formation involving a metal ion and two or more polar groupings of a single molecule; thus, in heme, the Fe2+ ion is chelated by the porphyrin ring. Chelation can be used to remove an ion from participation in biological reactions, as in the chelation of Ca2+ of blood by EDTA, which thus acts as an anticoagulant.
CHELATION (THERAPY)
Chelation (pronounced key-LAY-shun) therapy is an investigational therapy using a man-made amino acid, called EDTA. It is added to the blood through a vein. An international research study is now testing whether chelation therapy is safe and effective for treating heart disease. Many people are considering using chelation therapy because of the belief that it may treat heart disease. However this has not been scientifically proven. Past studies did not show benefit, but may have been too small to be conclusive. The National Institutes of Health is conducting this large study to find out whether chelation therapy is safe and effective in treating heart disease.
(Source: National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, National Institutes of Health, 2007)
