By Rob Stein
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON
Federal health officials on Thursday announced a crackdown on a
controversial therapy widely hawked on the Internet and elsewhere as
an alternative treatment for conditions such as autism, Alzheimer's
disease and Parkinson's disease by "cleansing" the body.
The Food and Drug Administration said it has sent warning letters
to several companies notifying them that the substances they sell
without a prescription for a procedure known as "chelation" are
"unapproved drugs and devices," which makes them illegal.
The agency became alarmed about the growing promotion and easy
availability of the products because the substances may cause
serious health complications, including dehydration and kidney
failure, and possibly be deadly, officials said. The agency is aware
of the death of one autistic child who underwent the procedure, but
officials say they think serious complications are greatly
underreported.
"We don't have evidence of a lot of adverse events, but that does
not mean there are not health problems associated with them," said
Charles Lee of the FDA's division of new drugs and labeling
compliance at the center for drug evaluation and research.
"Chelation can be dangerous and cause serious harm."
For decades, doctors have used chelation to treat patients
exposed to dangerous levels of heavy metals, such as in cases of
lead poisoning. Patients are infused with compounds that bind to the
metals, enabling them to be excreted. But the only chelation
products that have been approved by the FDA are available with a
prescription and should be used by a trained medical professional
because of the risk of complications, the FDA said.
The companies that received the warning letters sell products
without a prescription, often as "dietary supplements" and describe
multiple health benefits, none of which have been proven, the agency
said.
(C) 2010 The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star, Norfolk, VA. via ProQuest Information and Learning Company; All Rights Reserved