ALL Packages and PricesTACT (Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy) Study
The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy, or TACT, was conducted to determine whether EDTA chelation therapy will reduce incidences of clinical cardiovascular events in patients with CHD (coronary heart disease), and to determine if chelation supplements have acceptable safety profiles.
Carried out over ten years, and involving over 1,700 patients, TACT was an NIH (National Institute of Health) sponsored, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. It tested the benefits and risks of 40 recurring infusions of EDTA chelation solution compared with placebo. The trial used the components, route, and methods of EDTA chelation administration recommended by the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM).
TACT Overview
- Study start date: September 2003
- Cost: Approximately $31.6 million
- Enrollment: 1,708 patients
- Average patient age: 65
- 82% male, 18% female
- 9% minority patients
- All patients had suffered a heart attack at least six weeks prior to start of study
- Assigned interventions: Randomized—839 patients received EDTA chelation; 869 received placebo
- EDTA chelation/placebo infusion visits:
- Initial: weekly for 30 weeks
- Maintenance: every 2-8 weeks, for a total of 10 treatments
- Patient follow up:
- 3 phone calls per year
- 1 annual clinic visit
- Clinic visit upon conclusion of study
TACT Results
On November 4th, 2012 at an American Heart Association conference in Los Angeles, researchers said they found that 26.5% of patients receiving EDTA chelation therapy suffered an adverse cardiovascular event, including stroke, heart attack, stent procedure, hospitalization for chest pain, or death. This was slightly less than the 30% of patients receiving placebos who suffered the same.¹
¹ http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/177186411.html?page=all&prepage=1&c=y#continue
For more information on the NIH Study, read more:
NIH Study Record
TACT Questions & Answers
News Articles Discussing Results of TACT Study:
Star Tribune: ‘Fringe’ Treatment for heart disease shows some promise in a troubled study, sparking debate
Time: Chelation for Heart Disease: Study Shows Promise, but Experts Are Divided
Forbes: Doctors Dismiss Study That Says Chelation Helps Heart Patients
USA Today: Researchers raise concerns over chelation heart study
