METALLOPATHY Evidence on heavy metals in people

Static evidence pages. Grades A to F. Sources named.

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Detox and binders

Is EDTA chelation safe / how to chelate lead without depleting minerals?

Two large randomized trials of disodium EDTA after myocardial infarction do not agree: TACT reported fewer composite cardiovascular events, and TACT2 did not. CDC reported three deaths from hypocalcemia associated with disodium EDTA, including a child given the disodium salt in error and a child treated for autism. This corpus has no trial of a mineral schedule that prevents depletion during chelation.

Trials and reported harm

The corpus records that TACT2 reported no excess serious adverse events under the trial protocol. That statement is tied to an American College of Cardiology meeting summary, not to off-protocol use. ACC summary. How to chelate lead without depleting minerals is not answered by these studies.

EDTA evidence in this corpus. Trial conditions are not instructions for use.
SourceWhat was studiedResult
Lamas 2013 TACT RCT, 1708 adults aged 50 or older with prior myocardial infarction Composite events 26 percent versus 30 percent, hazard ratio 0.82, P=0.035, driven by revascularisation. No mortality difference. PMID 23532240. Authors did not support routine use.
Lamas 2024 TACT2 RCT, 959 adults aged 50 or older with diabetes and prior myocardial infarction 35.6 percent versus 35.7 percent, hazard ratio 0.93 (0.76 to 1.16), P=0.53. Blood lead median 9.0 to 3.5 µg/L. PMID 39141382.
Cochrane 2020 5 RCTs, 1993 participants, search to August 2019 All-cause mortality risk ratio 0.97 (0.73 to 1.28). Myocardial infarction risk ratio 0.81 (0.57 to 1.14). Authors: insufficient evidence. TACT2 was not included. PMID 32367513.
CDC MMWR 2006 Case reports Three deaths from hypocalcemia or cardiac arrest associated with disodium EDTA. MMWR 2006;55(08):204-207.

Related pages

Sources

  1. Lamas et al. 2013, doi:10.1001/jama.2013.2107, PMID 23532240
  2. Lamas et al. 2024, doi:10.1001/jama.2024.11463, PMID 39141382
  3. Villarruz-Sulit et al. 2020 Cochrane review, doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002785.pub2, PMID 32367513
  4. CDC MMWR 2006;55(08):204-207
  5. ACC summary of TACT2, 2024

Heavy Metal Index

Heavy Metal Index: Lead. This Heavy Metal Index URL returned HTTP 200 on 15 October 2026. Figures on this page are not copied from that index. They come from the sources named above.

What's safe to buy

The Heavy Metal Tested and Certified public register listed no licensees on 15 October 2026. That page reported 0 certified brands and 0 certified products, and it stated that no brand has completed the three-lot baseline. A specimen layout on the register is an illustration, not a licensee. This page does not name or rank any brand.

The program states that certification is a measurement of a product against a published limit, not a statement that the product is safe. If a licensee is later listed for this category, it will be on the register.

This page summarizes cited documents. It does not diagnose or prescribe. Reviewed 15 October 2026.