“I need your advice. I had an angiogram and I have 3 plugged arteries. The doctor at Stanford hospital said the dye they use in heart surgery may damage my kidneys to a point where I might need dialysis from then on. I am hoping you have a suggestion to clean out my arteries without surgery and kidney damage.”
Peter K.
Manteca, CA
—
Dear Peter,
You might want to look into chelation therapy. While it is widely used to remove heavy metals from the body, it has recently been successfully used as a non-surgical treatment for clearing the arteries.
Chelation (from the Greek word “chele,” which means “to claw”) uses a chemical reagent – ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), tetrathiomolybdate (TTM), DMSA (succimer), penicillamine, metallothionein (MT), and others – to grab onto a mineral and cause the body to excrete it in the urine. And there are several theories on how it works to clear the arteries.
One theory is that chelation directly removes calcium found in fatty plaques that block the arteries, causing the plaques to break up. Another theory is that it may stimulate the release of a hormone that, in turn, causes calcium to be removed from the plaques or causes a lowering of cholesterol levels. A third theory is that chelation therapy may work by reducing the damaging effects of oxygen ions (oxidative stress) on the walls of the blood vessels. Reducing oxidative stress could reduce inflammation in the arteries and improve blood vessel function.
Chelation has been found to be a safe, effective alternative to coronary bypass surgery or balloon angioplasty. The average cost is about $100-$125/treatment, with 20 to 30 treatments normally prescribed. It is typically not covered by insurance (which means $2,000-$4,000 out of pocket), but is far less costly or invasive than bypass surgery.
The Integrative Medicine Group at Stanford may be able to help you find a physician in your area offering chelation therapy. Also, you may be interested to know that a clinical trial is being run by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The “Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy” will involve more than 2,000 patients at more than 120 locations (including Stanford). You may be eligible. Find it online at clinicaltrials.gov. Frequently asked questions can be found at nccam.nih.gov/news/2002/chelation/q-and-a.htm.
Remember, chelation is not a cure-all. Like surgery and drugs, it doesn’t treat the underlying cause of the problem. That’s why it is essential to embark upon a full-spectrum wellness program that includes healthy dietary changes and exercise. I’m not a physician, so make sure you check with your primary care physician about all your options.
- Kelley Herring
[Ed. Note: For expert advice on the best foods to eat, easy exercise routines you can do, as well as how you can apply the latest health breakthroughs to your own life, sign up for ETR's natural health newsletter. Get your free roadmap to feeling better and living longer right here.
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Great article!
However, Shane Ellison wrote an ETR article 04/19/2008 promoting Hawthorn as an inexpensive way to clean your heart and arteries at: http://tinyurl.com/66by2l
Is your advice for people who need a quicker way to remove fatty plaque?
And can I assume Ellison’s advice for cleaning fatty plaques is more of a preventative method?
Hi Girard!
Yes, you are right. Hawthorn is a great preventive and therapeutic measure for the heart and arteries. And using it (combined with a healthy lifestyle, of course) may reduce the need for more intensive treaments like chelation or invasive surgeries like bypass. As always, talk with your doctor about your personal situation.
Crazy, but I remember reading somewhere once that Wine-O’s (drunks who drink a lot of red wine) don’t have clogged arteries. Do you need to become a Wine-O, probably not – and would probably not be good for you – but is there some truth to this, can you clean your arteries with red wine – does it really work – perhaps?
do not wast your money on chelaion…. I spent almost two hundred dollars with the understqnding I would feel the differance in three weeks. That did not happen. with the research I’ve done there is not a chemical availble that will help you. PLEASE DO YOUR RECEARCH BEFORE YOU BYE.THESE COMANPIES DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU.;………. IT IS THE MONEY,………..
You will not be wasting your money on chelation therapy. I had 20 treatments recently. Ten treatments of EDTA and ten of hydrogen peroxide. I have had other chelation treatments in the past. I have had my arteries checked and they are clear. I’m in my early 50’s. No matter how many treatments you have you are not going to feel any different. Whether your arteries are clogged or clear you can’t feel the difference. As they say the first symptom of a heart attack is usually death.