NCCIH has been criticized by Steven E. Nissen, Stephen Barrett, and Kimball Atwood among others, for funding, along with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute a study of EDTA chelation therapy for coronary artery disease, which lasted about 10 years and cost about $31 million, even though smaller, controlled trials found chelation ineffective.
NCCIH er blevet kritiseret af Steven E. Nissen, Stephen Barrett, og Kimball Atwood blandt andre, for, sammen med den National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, at finansiere en undersøgelse af EDTA kelation terapi i forbindelse iskæmiske hjertesygdom, som varede i omkring 10 år og koste omkring $31 millioner, selv om mindre, kontrollerede forsøg vist at kelation er ineffektivt.