Your calcium CT study shows significant levels of calcified plaque on your coronary vessels. Before panic sets in, here are some important things to consider regarding that report of elevated calcium:

1 – How much calcium is on each vessel (i.e., how occluded are the vessels)?

When it was introduced, the calcium test results always indicated which vessels were occluded and to what extent.  Now, the test often just gives an overall score for all coronary vessels, or simply states which vessels have “some” plaque.  It is unclear to what extent specific vessels are occluded.

2 – Is there also fatty, uncalcified plaque present?

This will not be included in the calcium scoring, yet fatty plaque when present blocks vessels the same way as calcified.  To find ALL plaque, and all locations, a coronary CT or Virtual Angiogram or an actual angiogram is required.

3 – How much plaque is too much?

The reason plaque is trouble is that it blocks flow.  BUT! By a law in physics called Poiseuille’s law, FLOW is correlated with the open radius of a vessel TO THE EIGHTH POWER! So, even a modest remaining radius, with some degree of narrowing, still permits considerable flow of a liquid, in this case, blood.  Hence, a vessel with a 50% blockage still provides quite a bit of unimpeded flow.  A separate flow study can be done to pinpoint the actual flow in the coronary vessels.

4 – Is there a way to scrape plaque off rather than bypassing it or pushing it off to the side.

Chelation therapy is an intravenous method of infusing a chemical, EDTA, along with magnesium, to gently wear away calcified plaque.  There are other improvements made to vessels that undergo chelation, including improved flexibility.

5 – Which vessels are affected by chelation?

One of the great benefits of this therapy is that it is a systemic treatment.  All vessels, large and small, are affected by chelation, and since atherosclerosis is a systemic disease, chelation treats not only coronary vessels, but brain kidney, limb vessels, etc.

6 – Does chelation remove fatty plaque?

NO, but there is another intravenous approach that dissolves the fatty component of plaque if present.

7 – Is chelation safe?

Using protocols that have been developed carefully and used over decades, therapy is safe, tested, and effective.  Kidney function is monitored regularly, and over time, as chelation opens kidney vessels, kidney function can actually improve with this therapy. As an additional benefit chelation also removes toxic, potentially cancer-causing heavy metals from the body.

8 – Can someone with grafts/bypasses already done still do chelation?

Absolutely. It is a wonderful addition.  Grafts do not eliminate the ongoing process of atherosclerosis. Chelating on a maintenance basis can keep grafts open, clear at their margins, and functioning, as well as preventing the need for future stents. It is also an excellent preventive measure for those without known problems to maintain low plaque levels.

When necessary, coronary angioplasty or bypass can be nothing short of lifesaving. But even after grafts are placed, the ounce of prevention (or chelation IV bag of prevention, in this case) remains an invaluable component in optimizing long-term outcomes and overall health.

Robin Ellen Leder, M.D., was mentored by Robert Atkins, M.D., author of The Atkins Diet. She has been providing alternative medical care, including intravenous treatments, for more than 30 years at A Better Alternative Medical Center, in Hackensack.