Definition
Chelation involves the use of various agents to remove heavy metals from the body – typically lead – but sometimes arsenic, mercury, or other metals are the targets. Various agents can be used for this process. These agents were first developed in the treatment of poison gas inhalation during World War I and have been substantially modified and refined over the years to increase efficiency while minimizing side effects. Various routes of administration are used for these chelating agents. There are occasional uses in treatment of other diseases, e.g., those that involve excess iron storage.
As an alternative treatment, many claims have been made, but not scientifically substantiated for a range of conditions ranging from atherosclerosis to autism. The use in autism rested, in part, on the unproven suggestion that high mercury levels were involved in the production of autism. There is no scientific justification for this process in autism.
There can be significant risks to...
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References and Reading
Beauchamp, R. A., Willis, T. M., Betz, T. G., & Villanacci, J. (2006). Deaths associated with hypocalcemia from chelation therapy - Texas, Pennsylvania, and Oregon, 2003–2005. Morbidity, Mortality Weekly Review (MMWR), 55(8), 204–207.
Volkmar, F., & Wiesner, L. (2009). A practical guide to autism. Hoboken: Wiley.
Weber, W., & Newmark, S. (2007). Complementary and alternative medical therapies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 54(6), 983–1006.
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Volkmar, F.R. (2020). Chelation. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_264-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_264-3
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