The Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT) was a large-scale clinical trial conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of chelation therapy in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Chelation therapy involves the administration of chelating agents, such as EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), to remove heavy metals and minerals from the body.
The TACT trial was initiated in response to the widespread use of chelation therapy by alternative medicine practitioners for the treatment of CAD, despite limited scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness. The study aimed to provide a rigorous scientific evaluation of chelation therapy as a potential treatment for CAD and to determine whether it could reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (heart attack).
The TACT trial enrolled over 1,700 patients aged 50 years or older with a history of myocardial infarction and evidence of moderate to severe blockages in their coronary arteries. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either intravenous chelation therapy with a chelating agent called EDTA or placebo infusions, in addition to oral vitamin and mineral supplements.
The primary endpoint of the TACT trial was a composite of major adverse cardiovascular events, including death from cardiovascular causes, non-fatal myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary revascularization procedures, and hospitalization for angina.
The results of the TACT trial, published in 2013, were surprising to many in the medical community. The study found a modest but statistically significant reduction in the risk of the primary endpoint among patients receiving chelation therapy compared to those receiving placebo. Specifically, chelation therapy was associated with a 26% relative reduction in the risk of the primary endpoint.
However, the findings of the TACT trial were met with skepticism by some experts due to methodological concerns and the unexpected nature of the results. Critics pointed out potential limitations of the study design, including the use of a composite primary endpoint, issues with blinding and placebo control, and concerns about the biological plausibility of chelation therapy’s mechanism of action in cardiovascular disease.
Despite the controversial nature of the TACT trial findings, it represented a significant effort to rigorously evaluate the potential benefits of chelation therapy in patients with CAD. The results generated renewed interest in further research on chelation therapy and highlighted the importance of conducting well-designed clinical trials to evaluate complementary and alternative treatments in cardiovascular medicine.
Spanish 
English