Lamas GA, Boineau R, Goertz C, et al.
This report examined the four factorial treatment groups from the original TACT trial — comparing EDTA alone, vitamins alone, EDTA plus vitamins, and double placebo. The 1,708-participant dataset allowed a direct head-to-head comparison of all combinations, including a pre-specified analysis in diabetic patients.
The combination of EDTA chelation plus high-dose oral vitamins and minerals reduced cardiovascular events to an extent that was both statistically significant and clinically relevant — with a hazard ratio of 0.74 overall and 0.49 in diabetic patients, representing a 51% relative risk reduction in that subgroup.
Bottom line — In the TACT trial, the combination of EDTA chelation plus high-dose oral vitamins and minerals reduced cardiovascular events more than either intervention alone — with the strongest effect (51% relative risk reduction) in diabetic patients. This finding shaped the design of TACT2; subsequent results from TACT2 did not confirm the cardiovascular benefit in diabetic post-MI patients, leaving the combined-therapy question open.