TRIAL TO ACCESS CHEALTION THERAPY (TACT) The Wellness Centre is seeking men and women age 50 and older who have had a heart attack to join a U.S. National Institutes of Health, study on the effectiveness and safety of an investigational treatment for heart disease. The investigational treatment is a combination of chelation therapy and high-dose vitamin therapy compared with placebo (inactive treatment). The Wellness Centre is one of more than 100 medical institutions across Canada and the U.S. selected to take part in the Chelation Therapy study, the largest clinical research study to evaluate the therapy's effectiveness and safety as a treatment for heart disease. Chelation (pronounced key-LAY-shun) therapy is a therapy using a man-made amino acid, called EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid). It is added to the blood through a vein. A national research study is now testing whether chelation therapy is safe and effective for treating heart disease. The study is more than 20 times larger than any previous study of chelation therapy and is designed to be large enough to detect even moderate benefits associated with this therapy. Coronary artery disease - the most common form of heart disease - is the leading cause of death of Canadians. It occurs when the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle (coronary arteries) become hardened and narrowed. The arteries harden and become narrow due to the buildup of abnormal cholesterol and calcium, called plaque, on the inner walls or lining of the arteries (atherosclerosis). Blood flow to the heart is reduced as plaque narrows the coronary arteries. This decreases the oxygen supply to the heart muscle. In a heart attack, a blood clot forms on the plaque and completely blocks flow through the artery. Study participants will be assigned randomly (by chance, like flipping a coin) to receive a standardized chelation solution or a placebo (inactive) solution over a period of 18 months. Because chelation therapy may also remove important vitamins and minerals the body needs, all study participants will take low-dose vitamin and mineral supplements. In addition, some participants will receive a high-dose vitamin and mineral supplement. The study will also evaluate whether high-dose vitamins and minerals are helpful. Neither the participants nor the researchers administering the treatment will know which of the four treatment combinations is being given. Using this process to assign people to treatment groups means that the groups will be as similar as possible and that the treatments they receive can be compared objectively. Those who join the study will be part of an international effort to help the medical community find new and effective treatments for heart disease. In addition, their health will be closely monitored while they are enrolled in the study. Those interested in learning more about the study can call: 1-902-625-3707 or visit http://nccam.nih.gov/chelation