Dear Cardiologist,
My name is Dr. Bruce Dooley and have I practiced in Fort Lauderdale and Naples for twenty years. Having recently arrived in Palm Beach County, I am writing to all the local Cardiologists to both personally introduce myself as well as seeking your cooperation and participation in an outcomes study involving EDTA Chelation Therapy. I will describe this in more detail in a minute.
You may be aware of the recent significant clinical results of the 7-year Trial to Assess Chelation Therapy (TACT). This randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was funded by the NIH and headed up by Dr. Tony Lamas (Chief of Cardiology, Miami Mt. Sinai Hospital). At the November 2012 Annual meeting of the AHA, Dr. Lamas announced that the study proved that EDTA intravenous therapy was both clinically effective and safe. Regrettably, the response from the Cardiologists on the panel was that “more studies were needed“.
Having personally supervised the administration of over 10,000 EDTA infusions, I and other physicians knowledgeable on this therapy were not surprised by the positive results of the TACT study: Improvements in circulation are the norm and were first discovered in the early 1950’s followed by much interest and investigation of this intravenous therapy . But when EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetate, (commonly used to chelate lead and other metals) lost its patent and became generic in the 1960’s, Abbott Labs dropped their research for its approval as a cardiac drug. It is also important to note that it was during this period that Dr. Michael DeBakey performed the first CABG in Houston. Thus, for the past 50 years, physicians like me have performed this therapy, formed medical associations to develop safe protocols, and train other physicians. Many office-based outcome studies were published and the vast majority showed significant improvements in circulation. But a properly constructed study was needed to convince other physicians of the effectiveness and safety of EDTA chelation.
So here our present dilemma and my reason for requesting your help: Getting the NIH to fund this $35 million TACT study in 2003 was difficult enough. We seriously doubt that further monies will be forthcoming. There was also the problem of patient recruitment (ask a person to sit in a recliner chair for 40 treatments for three hours each with a 50% chance it is a placebo). The question then arose as to how to gather more data now that EDTA chelation therapy has been proven clinically effective and safe. One consideration was to seek other physicians help to enrol their eligible patients in an outcomes study. Our belief is that if enough evidential outcomes are positive as reviewed and submitted by respected Cardiologists, then this therapy may gain acceptance as a recommended treatment.
So we see this happening as such:
1. Participating cardiologists refer a patient for a series of twenty EDTA chelation infusions with the cost of the program being born by the patient, who is given full informed consent.
- The participating referring cardiologist completes both a pre and post chelation program evaluation for which he/ she will be directly reimbursed $500 as remuneration for their time spent on the evaluations (total of 20-30 minutes). This will be paid to the physician at the onset of the twenty treatment program by their patient.
- On a national level, this program would generate a significant number of reports from Cardiologists which would eventually be collated into a report and submitted to the American Heart Association for their consideration.
I am seeking your help by becoming a participating physician in this important project. To better get acquainted with each other, and to further explain the therapy, please allow me the opportunity to meet with you outside of your busy office practice. It would be my pleasure to show you our beautiful center and answer any questions you might have over dinner if you like.
To help facilitate this, I would request that you please return the enclosed, stamped response card indicating your decision to either accept or decline participation. If you would like to participate, I will have my staff do a follow- up call to your office to schedule an afternoon visit/dinner.
Thank you very much for your time and attention and I look forward very much
to hearing back from you.
Kind regards,
Dr. Bruce Dooley