Realistically, there is no chelation product, natural or chemical, capable of dissolving atheriosclerotic plaque.  So why is this claim made and is there any reason to believe that chelation may be beneficial for people with impaired circulation?
 
To answer these questions we must first understand how atherosclerotic plaque is formed.
Arterial blood vessels are completely lined with endothelial cells whose function is to provide a smooth surface to facilitate blood flow and to separate blood and its various components from the underlying surrounding structures of the body and blood vessels.  Damage to endothelial cells results in the release of agglutinins which tend to cause thrombus formation.  Under normal circumstances, the injured endothelial cells release substances that cause nearby endothelial cells to proliferate accompanied by an increase in basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and the production of heparan sulfate glycosaminoglycans .  Any intravascular thrombi are dissolved by the release of substances called fibrinolysins and the damage is quickly repaired.
 
Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic alter these sequence of events.  Mercury, lead cadmium and arsenic cause severe mitochondrial dysfunction which impairs the viability of the endothelial cells so they become "leaky". Agglutinins are released by the damaged endothelial cells and this results in the laying down of fibrin, cholesterol and calcium with the formation of atherosclerotic plaque.  Lead and mercury have been shown to interfere with the healing process in that they inhibit the proliferation of endothelial cells by decreasing the response to bFGF and along with cadmium reducs endothelial fibrinolytic activity.  Cadmium and lead also promote the proliferation of vascular smooth muscle, altering the structure of the blood  vessels  The persistent presence of these toxic heavy metals thus prevents the body from healing , perpetuating the presence of the atherosclerotic plaque.
 
Clinical experience suggests that chelation is helpful in ameliorating circulatory disturbances.   Effective chelation can remove the toxic heavy metals which are impairing the body's normal healing responses, allowing the body's healing responses to remove the plaque and resurface the blood vessels with normal endothelial cells. 
 
However, chelation may prove unsuccessful in several situations. Obviously, continued exposure to toxic heavy metals  through environmental contact or persistent amalgam fillings are a major issue.  EDTA is not effective for the removal of mercury, which causes endothelial damage, renal dysfunction,  vascular spasm,  hypertension and sympathetic autonomic imbalance.  Therefore EDTA, by itself will not be effective when mercury is present.  Cigarette smoking continues to expose the body to cadmium, negating the effects of chelation.  Failure to address nutritional deficiencies leading to hyperhomocysteinemia and failure to effectively treat  diabetes and hypertension, all major causes of vascular disease will prevent healing.  Other issues which must be addressed  are Vitamin D deficiency, clearly  associated with an increased incidence of  hypertension, heart attack, stroke and vascular thrombosis and  vitamin K2 deficiency leading to arterial and soft tissue calcification and stroke. 
 
One of the best ways to determine if chelation will be helpful for you is to have a hair analysis.  This will show whether you do indeed have significant levels of toxic metals.  It will provide indications of essential trace mineral deficiencies or imbalances.  Low levels of sulfur, selenium  and molybdenum can seriously affect your body's ability to detoxify metals and chemicals.  Hair analysis will also provide evidence that you have a low vitamin D level, which can affect many different aspects of your mental and physical health - immune, vascular, psychological, muscle strength, bone and joint health, etc. Hypothyroidism is almost invariably associated with metal toxicity and has a profound effect on your body's ability to heal itself and to detoxify.  Low body temperature is a strong indicator of impaired thyroid function.
 
It is my hope that you will carefully consider these matters so that you can better understand the major factors affecting your health, enabling  you to take control of this major aspect of your life.
 
REFERENCES
 
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2.  Wolf MB, Baynes JW  2007 Feb, 20(1):73-81 Epub 2006 Jun 4
Cadmium and mercury cause an oxidative stress-induced endothelial dysfunction
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3.  Yasuyuki, Fujiwara and Toshiyuki, Kaji  2000  Journal of Health Science, 46(1) 1-4
Inhibition of the Repair of Injured Endothelial Monolayers by Lead and Its Possible Mechanism
 
4.  Vaziri, ND  Am J Physilo Heart Circ Physiol.  2008 Aug;295(2):H454-65 Epub 2008 Jun 20
Mechanisms of lead-induced hypertension and cardiovascular disease
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Possible mechanism for lead inhibition of vascular endothelial cell proliferation:  a lower response to basic fibroblast growthj factor through inhibition of heparan sulfate synthesis
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The role of mercury and cadmium heavy metals in vascular disease, hypertension,m coronary heart disease, and myocardial infarction
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