Cardiologists in mainstream medicine were so sure that chelation therapy for heart disease was bunk that Dr. Gervasio Lamas raised eyebrows when he decided to explore the question in a clinical trial.
As StatNews describes in a profile of the Miami Beach physician, Lamas got so little support he had to finance the trial in part with a second mortgage on his house.
To his surprise, and the consternation of his peers, Lamas ended up with results that suggested chelation does indeed help certain heart patients, those who also have diabetes. That outcome caused such a flap that many cardiologists refused to believe it.
Now, Lamas finds himself leading yet another trial on the controversial treatment, which involves infusing chemicals that target heavy metals and wash them from the body. This time, though, he has a $37 million federal grant to help.
