Archive for the ‘Heart Issues’ Category

History of Lyme Disease As a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32279835/

. 2020 Jun 1;125(11):1651-1654.

doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.03.003.Epub 2020 Mar 13.

History of Lyme Disease as a Predictor of Atrial Fibrillation

Anna Szymanska 1, Anna E Platek 2, Miroslaw Dluzniewski 1, Filip M Szymanski 3
PMID: 32279835

DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2020.03.003

Abstract

In many cases, atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with a history of cardiac inflammation. One of the potential pathogens responsible for atrial inflammation might be Borrelia burgdorferi – a pathogen involved in Lyme carditis. This study aimed to assess whether the serological history of Borrelia infection was associated with the risk of AF. The study included 113 AF patients and 109 patients in sinus rhythm. All patients underwent a clinical evaluation, echocardiography and had their blood taken for the assessment of anti-Borrelia IgG antibodies. Patients with AF compared with the non-AF group had more often serological signs of Borrelia infection (34.5% vs 6.4%; p <0.0001). The multivariate analysis showed that positive results for anti-Borrelia IgG antibodies were a strong independent predictor of AF (odds ratio 8.21; 95% confidence interval 3.08 to 21.88; p < 0.0001).

In conclusion, presented data show that exposure to Borrelia spp. infection is associated with an increased risk of AF. Whether the early treatment of Lyme disease lowers the risk of AF development remains to be explored.

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**Comment**

Imagine what the real numbers look like…..

They used blood tests as the foundation of the study and we know these tests miss anywhere from 70-86% of cases.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/03/01/study-cdcs-2-tier-lyme-testing-inaccurate-in-more-than-70-of-cases/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/01/16/2-tier-lyme-testing-missed-85-7-of-patients-milford-hospital/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/12/16/laboratory-testing-for-lyme-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/09/12/lyme-testing-problems-solutions/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/10/13/direct-test-for-ld-carl-tuttle-chews-up-cdc-spits-them-out/

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Testing

Cavalier Attitude Towards Lyme Infection is Misplaced

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-infection/

CAVALIER ATTITUDE TOWARDS LYME INFECTION IS MISPLACED

man with lyme infection looking up in woods

Some medical professionals and their patients have dismissed Lyme disease, believing the prevalence and potential damage a Lyme infection can cause is over-exaggerated. But what happens if your family is directly affected? A researcher from the University of Pennsylvania shares his story “Lemons and Lyme” in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

By

“One day, when traveling in California for a meeting, I received a call informing me that one of my sons, then aged 39, had been walking his dog when he collapsed into unconsciousness with a heart rate of 35/minute and had been taken to a local hospital,” writes Plotkin.¹ A Lyme infection was suspected.

His son was diagnosed immediately by a cardiologist familiar with Lyme disease.

“My son Alec received a pacemaker and, of course, an intravenous antibiotic,” writes Plotkin. “Fortunately, he has recovered, but his experience convinced me that a cavalier attitude towards Lyme infection is misplaced.”

Furthermore,

“An aspect of Alec’s case is instructive in that he was not exposed in the woods or someplace where ticks are an obvious hazard but within sight of his own house.”

Some people don’t get Lyme disease until they GET Lyme disease.

Related Articles:

Tick bite prevention methods vary between socio-economic levels

Tick bite prevention methods are failing our children

Are Lyme disease prevention methods really working?

References:
  1. Plotkin SA. Lemons and Lyme. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2018;7(4):267-269

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**Comment**

I’m thankful this medical professional had the cajoles to admit this.  In time, the treatment of Lyme/MSIDS will get the proper attention it deserves – if only due to the fact it is going to affect so many people it will become undeniable.  

Another important point is that this man’s son was treated with IV antibiotics – a treatment that has been put unfairly under the microscope and bad-mouthed by “authorities”:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/06/23/no-bias-in-mmwr-for-any-other-infectious-disease-requiring-iv-antibiotics-except-for-lyme/  In short, the CDC cherry-picked 5 cases that had poor outcomes using IV therapy and then wrote a paper scaring the bejesus out of doctors. They clearly wanted to send a strong message to doctors that this therapy is unsafe.

What’s interesting about the MMWR paper is that one of the authors, a CDC epidemiologist, allegedly solicited IDSA doctors for evidence of harm from IV antibiotic treatments, essentially bribing them by offering co-authorship of the report if anecdotes were used. No such solicitation was made for IV treatment success stories.  There has been hot debate on Lyme treatments for decades. The MMWR paper is only one example of bias which is embedded within the CDC. There are many success stories using IV therapy by a Wisconsin Doctor and IDSA founder who disagreed with his colleagues on how to treat Lyme disease. https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/26/cdc-playbook-learning-from-lyme/

How many patients would have died without this life-saving therapy?  God only knows, but “authorities” are up to their old tricks with COVID-19 as well – badmouthing any treatment that competes financially with their own (they do this with testing too):  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/06/fraudulent-hcq-covid-19-study-in-lancet-exposed/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/02/successful-covid-19-critical-care-stonewalled-by-cdc/

There are many who would profit from this treatment but due to this biased paper and the propaganda it promotes, most doctors are scared to death to treat patients with IV antibiotics. This is just another great example of how doctors who treat Lyme patients have been singled out and crucified on the Lyme crucible and how politics has driven science.

But wait!  This is happening to doctors who speak out on the COVID-19 narrative as well:  https://www.startribune.com/sen-scott-jensen-says-complaints-about-covid-19-comments-may-be-political/571650782/  Dr. Jensen, also a senator, now finds himself a subject of a state medical board investigation after he spoke out on how hospitals are essentially being bribed to code deaths COVID-19:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/11/hospitals-paid-extra-to-list-patients-as-covid19-3x-as-much-if-the-patient-is-on-a-ventilator/

This type of censorship seems to be the new normal.

For a great read on chronic Lyme: https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/04/19/letter-to-chronic-lyme-denialists-from-a-microbiologist/

Some people are so biased they couldn’t hear truth if it slapped them in the face. They don’t care if there’s a back-story of corruption – if all the research has been rigged for a predetermined outcome.  All they believe in is placebo-controlled, randomized trials in black and white.  Unfortunately, regarding Lyme/MSIDS, those too have been corrupted by “scientists” with conflicts of interest that reads like a rap sheet:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2017/01/13/lyme-science-owned-by-good-ol-boys/

And recently, regarding COVID-19, we’ve learned that in fact scientists can be flat-out wrong, have conflicts of interest, AND lie:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/06/06/fraudulent-hcq-covid-19-study-in-lancet-exposed/

Regarding research on Lyme treatment, many crucial nuances that will determine outcome – just like with COVID treatment, are not followed in study parameters – which will purposely give a poor outcome:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/22/why-mainstream-lyme-msids-research-remains-in-the-dark-ages/

Hopefully, these facts are enlightening you to the fact that authorities and science are not to be solely trusted.  Both are being used right now to sway people – rather than remaining objective.

Question everything and run things by your practitioner(s) who is/are working on the front-line. Get numerous opinions and then use your God-given brain to make decisions.

 

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme

Lyme Carditis Symptoms May Go Undiagnosed in Mexico

https://danielcameronmd.com/lyme-carditis-symptoms-undiagnosed-in-mexico/

LYME CARDITIS SYMPTOMS MAY GO UNDIAGNOSED IN MEXICO

man having heart problem from Lyme carditis symptoms

Lyme carditis symptoms can be a serious complication of Lyme disease. While the condition is well-recognized in the United States, officials in Mexico are reluctant to acknowledge Lyme disease in their country. In a letter entitled “Advanced AV-block: Is it time to consider Lyme carditis as a differential diagnosis in Mexico?” physicians describe the challenges of proving that a patient has Lyme carditis. [1]

By
The authors highlight the case of a 23-year-old woman who presented to their hospital “with a chief complaint of dyspnea and chest pain and was found to have a third degree AV-block on the electrocardiogram (ECG).”
A temporary pacemaker was implanted. And after an exhaustive work-up for other causes, the woman was eventually tested for Lyme disease. While Lyme carditis symptoms can be difficult to recognized, test results were positive by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) two-tier Western blot criteria.
Unfortunately, despite a three-week course of intravenous ceftriaxone, the woman required a permanent pacemaker. “At 3-month follow-up, she was still dependent on pacing,” writes Carrizales-Sepulveda and colleagues.
They argue that the woman lived in an endemic region and had visited the hospital with complaints consistent with Lyme carditis symptoms four weeks earlier. The authors cite the CDC, pointing out that “a region can be considered as endemic for [Lyme disease] if: at least two confirmed cases have been previously acquired or in which established populations of a known tick vector are infected with B. burgdorferi.”

Officials reluctant to acknowledge Lyme disease exists in Mexico. CLICK TO TWEET

However, the medical community in Mexico has been reluctant to acknowledge Lyme disease as a possible cause of the woman’s heart block. Officials argue “there is no convincing evidence that Borrelia burgdorferi is present in Mexico.”READ MORE: Which treatment guidelines should you follow for Lyme carditis?

Despite such resistance, Carrizales-Sepulveda and colleagues report “a seroprevalence of 6.2% for the Northeast region of Mexico and 3.4% for Mexico City, using a two-tier approach with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and western blot (WB) as recommended.”

Unfortunately, these results were dismissed as false positives, the authors write.

Furthermore, their Lyme carditis diagnosis was questioned with officials suggesting “the advanced AV-block that our patient presented had another cause that was not thoroughly investigated,” Carrizales-Sepulveda explains.

The authors recommend that Lyme carditis be considered as a possible diagnosis for patients living in Mexico.

“We agree that in our country other causes should be ruled-out first, however, there is no reason to leave out [Lyme carditis] as a diagnosis,” they write.

“[Lyme disease] in our country might be under looked, underdiagnosed, and underreported.”

Related Articles:

Patients can die when Lyme carditis is not treated

Study identifies 189 children with Lyme carditis

Lyme disease podcast: 17-year-old man dies from Lyme carditis

References:
  1. Carrizales-Sepulveda EF, Jimenez-Castillo RA, Vera-Pineda R. Advanced AV-block: Is it time to consider Lyme carditis as a differential diagnosis in Mexico? J Electrocardiol. 2020.

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**Comment**

We are indebted to Dr. Lapenta, a South American doctor, who has written on Lyme in the Southern Hemisphere and numerous other issues with tick-borne illness. https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/06/lyme-in-the-southern-hemisphere-sexual-transmission/

Thankfully, there is doctor training going on for tick-borne illness going on in South America.

It’s up to us to tell others that Lyme disease is everywhere. 

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/21/17-year-old-dies-from-lyme-carditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/10/when-lyme-hurts-your-heart-warning-signs-solutions/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/02/27/which-treatment-guidelines-should-you-follow-for-lyme-carditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2020/01/12/broad-range-of-presentations-for-lyme-carditis-cases/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/29/increasing-burden-of-lyme-carditis-in-united-states-childrens-hospitals/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/02/21/diagnosis-treatment-of-lyme-carditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/04/suspect-lyme-carditis-start-empiric-antibiotics-case-report-suggest-and-lyme-carditis-is-not-rare/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/07/09/with-unexpected-death-autopsies-should-look-for-lyme-carditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/05/15/lyme-carditis-presenting-as-atrial-fibrillation/

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, Uncategorized

Lyme Podcast: Boy With Severe Cardiac Lyme Disease

https://danielcameronmd.com/boy-with-severe-cardiac-lyme-disease/

LYME PODCAST: A BOY WITH SEVERE CARDIAC LYME DISEASE

A 15-year-old boy with severe cardiac Lyme disease

I will be discussing a 15-year-old boy with severe cardiac Lyme disease in this Inside Lyme podcast.
By
See link for Podcast

Nawrocki and his colleague first discussed this case in the Air Medical Journal  in 2018.

A 15-year-old boy experienced an episode of exertional syncope while at a trampoline park. Syncope is a temporary loss of consciousness.

He had a history of an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

His friends immediately called 911. They were not sure how long he was unconscious.

The boy was pale with a heart rate of 300 beats per minute, according to the medics. His EKG showed a wide complex tachyarrhythmia. That means that the heart is fast, and the QRS parts of his EKG were wide.

He was given a dose of amiodarone, but the ventricular tachycardia remained a problem. Amiodarone is a medicine used to treat and prevent irregular heartbeats.

At the hospital, he was dizzy and was short of breath. His heart rate remained between 290 and 300. His blood pressure dropped to 66/30 mm Hg.

He required synchronized cardioversion. Synchronized cardioversion is a procedure similar to electrical defibrillation. Synchronized cardioversion uses low energy synchronized with the heart.

His EKG changed to a third-degree heart block. That occurs when there is a complete block of impulses from the atrium to the ventricle. The atrium is the top of the heart, and the ventricle is the bottom. He had pacing pads placed.

He was flown to a cardiac intensive care unit (ICU) at a children’s tertiary care hospital via rotary-wing aircraft staffed with two flight nurses.

He continued to have a complete heart block with a fast rhythm.

CARDIAC LYME DISEASE

Doctors suspected Lyme disease and prescribed intravenous ceftriaxone. The diagnosis of Lyme disease was confirmed by “anti-Lyme titers” and Western blot tests.

His low heart rate and low pressure continued. The doctors inserted a transvenous pacemaker to control the heart rate.

He had three additional episodes of ventricular tachycardia. He was cardioverted twice.

But after several days of intravenous antibiotics, the boy’s heart block gradually resolved, and the pacemaker was removed.
He completed 28-days of IV treatment. He remains well on a one-year follow-up, according to the authors.

The authors note that conduction problems have been reported previously in untreated Lyme disease. The list of conduction abnormalities includes first and second-degree AV block, ST and T wave changes, prolonged QT, junctional tachycardia, and complete heart block.

There was no mention of conduction problems in patients who have been treated. I have not seen conduction problems in patients I have treated.

What can we learn from these cases?

  1. Cardiac Lyme disease or more commonly known as Lyme carditis, can lead to life-threatening rhythm disturbances.
  2. The conduction problems with cardiac Lyme disease can rapidly change.
  3. Antibiotic treatment was helpful.
  4. A pacemaker was necessary in this case. The doctor was able to remove the pacemaker after treatment with antibiotics.

What questions do these cases raise?

  1. How often does cardiac Lyme disease occur?
  2. Are there cases of cardiac Lyme disease cases that are not diagnosed?
  3. Were there any warning signs of cardiac Lyme disease that would have allowed treatment before the young man collapsed?
  4. 4. Would the doctors have been able to recognize cardiac Lyme disease early before the need for hospitalization, air transport, and cardioversion?

TREATING TICK-BORNE DISEASE IN MY PRACTICE

In my practice, each individual requires a careful assessment. That is why I order a broad range of blood tests for other illnesses in addition to tick-borne infections. I also arrange consultations with specialists as needed.

Many patients are complex, as highlighted in this Inside Lyme Podcast series.

We need more doctors with skills recognizing Lyme carditis. We hope that professionals evaluating individuals with Lyme carditis can use this case to remind them to look for tick-borne illnesses and treat accordingly.

Inside Lyme Podcast Series

This Inside Lyme case series will be discussed on my Facebook and made available on podcast and YouTube.  As always, it is your likes, comments, and shares that help spread the word about this series and our work. If you can, please leave a review on iTunes or wherever else you get your podcasts.

Sign up for our newsletter to keep up with our cases.

References:
  1. Nawrocki PS, Poremba M. A 15-Year-Old Male With Wide Complex Tachyarrhythmia. Air Med J. 2018;37(6):383-387.

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For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/11/16/advanced-heart-block-in-children-with-lyme-disease-2/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/09/study-identifies-189-children-with-lyme-carditis/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/04/how-vector-borne-diseases-impact-heart-health/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/03/heart-problems-tick-borne-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/11/04/suspect-lyme-carditis-start-empiric-antibiotics-case-report-suggest-and-lyme-carditis-is-not-rare/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/10/when-lyme-hurts-your-heart-warning-signs-solutions/

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Testing, Treatment

Second-Degree AV Block Caused By Lyme

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32186826

2020 Jan 24;164. pii: D4214.

Second-degree atrioventricular block caused by Lyme disease

[Article in Dutch]
van der Zande JMJ1, Baarsma ME2, Grundeken MJ1, Verhaar N3, Kok WEM1, Hovius JW2,4.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, are becoming increasingly common in Europe. Lyme disease has a wide variety of clinical manifestations, as a result of which physicians of diverse disciplines are coming into contact with such patients.

CASE DESCRIPTION:

A 58-year-old man was seen at the emergency room with a symptomatic Wenckebach-type second-degree atrioventricular (AV) block and periods of 2:1 AV block. Four weeks previously the patient had noticed a red skin lesion on his left lower leg. Under the working diagnosis of early disseminated Lyme disease with cardiac involvement, treatment with ceftriaxone was started. This diagnosis was supported by a positive Borrelia PCR and culture of a skin biopsy and positive Borreliaserology. The AV conduction disorders resolved completely after 2 weeks of treatment with antibiotics and it was not necessary to implant a pacemaker.

CONCLUSION:

A Borrelia infection is a reversible but rare cause of AV conduction disorders. In the event of sudden onset of symptoms or a severe or progressive AV conduction disorder, Lyme carditis should be considered, especially if the medical history or physical examination provides clues for Lyme disease.

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**Comment**

Due to the fact Lyme testing is so abysmal, stating that AV conduction disorders caused by Lyme is “rare,” is premature.  It may be true that reports in the literature are rare but nobody has a clue on prevalence due to underreporting & misdiagnosis. 

This patient needs extensive follow-up.  Two weeks of antibiotics is rarely sufficient.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/03/10/when-lyme-hurts-your-heart-warning-signs-solutions/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/06/03/heart-problems-tick-borne-disease/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/02/22/new-lyme-cme-course-available-lyme-carditis-more-than-blocked-beats/  Course for doctors to become educated.

Category:

Heart Issues, Lyme, research, Uncategorized