Chelation therapy for intermittent claudication and coronary heart disease

Connock M, Wilson J, Song F, Hyde C, Meads C
Record ID 32002000722
English
Authors' objectives:

This report aims to examine whether chelation therapy (CT) is more clinically effective and cost effective than placebo for coronary heart disease (CHD) and intermittent claudication (IC).

Authors' results and conclusions: For CHD, neither of the two included RCTs showed a statistically significant difference in the primary outcome measures. For IC, all three RCTs were underpowered and one was very small (n=10). This RCT showed a statistically significant difference in favour of CT for the primary outcome measure whereas the other two showed no significant difference. Small effect sizes in favour of CT were observed in some secondary outcome measures. The quality of reviews was very variable and their conclusions in some cases extremely polarised. Deriving a consensus opinion on effectiveness from the included reviews could not be justified
Authors' recommendations: Currently there is little objective evidence that CT is effective for CHD or IC. Conversely there is little evidence that CT does harm. In order to establish the true level of effectiveness of CT, large numbers of patients would need to be enrolled in an RCT. This is very unlikely to be carried out.
Authors' methods: Systematic review
Details
Project Status: Completed
URL for project: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/Documents/college-mds/haps/projects/WMHTAC/REPreports/2002/chelation.pdf
Year Published: 2002
URL for published report: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/activity/mds/projects/HaPS/PHEB/WMHTAC/REP/reports-list.aspx
English language abstract: An English language summary is available
Publication Type: Not Assigned
Country: England
MeSH Terms
  • Chelation Therapy
  • Coronary Disease
  • Costs and Cost Analysis
  • Intermittent Claudication
Contact
Organisation Name: West Midlands Health Technology Assessment Collaboration
Contact Address: Elaena Donald-Lopez, West Midlands Health Technology Assessment Collaboration, Department of Public Health and Epidemiology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TT Tel: +44 121 414 7450; Fax: +44 121 414 7878
Contact Name: louise.a.taylor@bham.ac.uk
Contact Email: louise.a.taylor@bham.ac.uk
Copyright: University of Birmingham
This is a bibliographic record of a published health technology assessment from a member of INAHTA or other HTA producer. No evaluation of the quality of this assessment has been made for the HTA database.