chelation therapy

noun

: the use of a chelator (such as EDTA) to bind with a metal (such as lead or iron) in the body to form a chelate so that the metal loses its chemical effect (such as toxicity or physiological activity)

Examples of chelation therapy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For very high levels, that could include chelation therapy — a medical procedure to remove lead from the body — and hospitalization. Matthew Baltz, jsonline.com, 6 May 2026 For some advocates, the appointments have instilled a deep sense of dread about what is going to happen in the future if debunked treatments like chelation therapy and stem cell injections are promoted as actual science. David Gilbert, Wired News, 6 Feb. 2026 Some parents of children with autism, desperate for a remedy, have long reached for dubious and at times dangerous panaceas, including hyperbaric oxygen chambers and chelation therapy, used for the treatment of heavy metal poisoning. Megan O’Matz, ProPublica, 11 Dec. 2025 Kennedy recently said on a podcast that people should have access to controversial alternative therapies like stem cells and chelation therapy to remove heavy metals from the body. Erika Edwards, NBC news, 9 June 2025 The vapors escaped and sent several firefighters to the hospital for chelation therapy. Sallie Tisdale, Harper's Magazine, 2 Dec. 2024 In 2005 a five-year-old autistic child died of a heart attack as a result of chelation therapy. Lauren Leffer, Popular Science, 27 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of chelation therapy was in 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Chelation therapy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chelation%20therapy. Accessed 22 May. 2026.

Medical Definition

chelation therapy

noun
: the use of a chelator (as EDTA) to bind with a metal (as lead or iron) in the body to form a chelate so that the metal loses its toxic effect or physiological activity
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