NIH Radio
Succimer found ineffective for removing mercury – 2
Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. I’m Joe Balintfy. While some families have turned to a drug used for treating lead poisoning as an alternative therapy for autism, data does not support this practice. The drug is called succimer.
Rogan: It is a kind of a general purpose metal chelator.
Narrator: Dr. Walter Rogan at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences explains a chelator helps metals stored in the body pass more easily. But he warns of succimer:
Rogan: It’s not as effective a chelator for mercury as it is for lead.
Narrator: Dr. Rogan reports that some believe that conditions like autism are caused, in part, by mercury. For details on succimer, visit www.niehs.nih.gov. Health Matters is produced by the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Contact Us
Send questions or comments to:
Joe Balintfy
NIH News Media Branch
NIHRadio@mail.nih.gov
301-435-7557
About NIH Radio
NIH Radio offers free audio news programs from the National Institutes of Health, your reliable source for health information.
All NIH Radio content is in the public domain and can be used without charge or restriction provided that it is not used to misrepresent our agency nor used to suggest we endorse any private organization, product, or service.
NIH Radio is a service of the Office of Communications & Public Liaison.
Social Media Links