According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, edetate calcium disodium and edetate disodium are two distinct drugs that are each commonly referred to as EDTA. These drugs are chelation agents, meaning that when they are introduced to the bloodstream or digestive system, they can bind to harmful substances, immediately rendering them harmless and ushering them to the kidneys for expulsion in the urine stream. The FDA has approved the use of EDTA in a process called chelation therapy for three specific purposes.
Heavy Metal Detoxification
Edetate calcium disodium, also marketed under the name Calcium Disodium Versenate, is approved by the FDA for use in treating lead poisoning. Though the FDA has not specifically approved this chelating agent for detoxifying other heavy metals, other medical authorities report that it may be effective for such uses. The Mayo Clinic and American Heart Association report that it can be used to chelate mercury molecules, and the American Cancer Society's list of heavy metals that can be chelated with EDTA includes iron, cadmium and zinc. The University of Maryland Medical Center states that this treatment may also effectively chelate arsenic, aluminum, chromium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, selenium, tin and thallium, but notes that chelating agents other than EDTA may also be used for treating poisoning from some of the heavy metals on this list.
Calcium Regulation
Edetate disodium, sometimes marketed under the brand name Endrate, is FDA-approved for use in treating hypercalcemia, a condition in which blood calcium levels are dangerously high. Hypercalcemia is most common among post-menopausal women whose parathyroid glands become overactive, but it can also be caused by cancer and overuse of calcium and vitamin D supplements, according to the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms of hypercalcemia may include nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and extreme thirst, and it may lead to osteoporosis, kidney disorders and cardiac arrhythmia. Because EDTA can so effectively chelate calcium, some alternative medicine proponents recommend it as an alternative treatment for atherosclerosis, according to the American Heart Association. This is because calcium is one of the key components that allow layers of hard plaque to build up inside the arteries. However, the association warns against the use of EDTA chelation therapy for this purpose, as does the FDA, American Medical Association and the American College of Cardiology.
Digitalis Intoxication Treatment
The other FDA-approved use of edetate disodium chelation therapy is for the treatment of intoxication from a drug called digitalis, which, according to the American Heart Association, is designed to strengthen heart contractions, slow heart rates and reduce fluid levels in body tissues. At toxic levels, it can cause an irregular heartbeat, which this type of EDTA chelation can help halt in emergencies.
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