Heavy metals can accumulate in the body, causing many health problems that can impact every major organ. Chelation therapy works by removing heavy metals from the body.  EDTA and other chelating agents lower the blood levels of metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and zinc by attaching to the heavy metal molecules, which helps the body remove them through urination.

Because EDTA can reduce the amount of calcium in the bloodstream, it has been suggested that chelation therapy may help reopen blocked arteries, and might be an alternative to coronary artery bypass and angioplasty. The NIH (National Institutes of Health) are currently sponsoring the largest clinical trial ever conducted on chelation therapy and its benefits for Coronary Artery Disease.

At present, chelation therapy is not approved by the FDA to treat atherosclerosis, though it has been used by physicians for that diagnosis for years, and for other illnesses like diabetes, psoriasis, and Alzheimer's disease.

This method of therapy is promoted by the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM),  the association of alternative medicine physicians. ACAM provides physicians with training and a certification exam in Chelation Therapy.  Chelation therapy is most often given into a vein over a period of two to three hours. A typical treatment cycle may include twenty to forty treatments about once a week.

Because the therapy removes some minerals from the body, patients often receive vitamin and mineral supplements during treatment.

In view of worsening environment, chelation might become a more accepted method of treatment of different ailments, especially if the undergoing clinical trial will find it to be beneficial for atherosclerosis. At present, it is used in conventional medicine only for proven heavy metal toxicity.