How many people are dying from Lyme-caused heart failure?

This is a letter to the editors of a scientific journal. It was CCed to some legislators. The letter was written by Lyme activist Carl Tuttle. I am reposting it here in my blog because I believe the author raises some important questions about the likely underrorting of fatal cases of Lyme carditis (heart failure caused by Lyme infection).  There are also some useful links about Lyme carditis at the bottom.  -Bob

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Subject: Lyme Carditis, Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc.

Infect Dis Clin North Am. 2015 Jun;29(2):255-268. doi: 10.1016/j.idc.2015.02.003.

Lyme Carditis.

Robinson ML1, Kobayashi T2, Higgins Y2, Calkins H3, Melia MT4.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25999222

Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

 

May 26, 2015

 

Infectious Disease Clinics

Consulting Editor:
Helen W. Boucher, MD, FIDSA, FACP

 

To the Editors:

 

There are serious concerns regarding a number of comments found in the Johns Hopkins abstract on Lyme Carditis:

 

Johns Hopkins Comment #1 "Lyme disease is a common disease that uncommonly affects the heart."

 

In reference to the Johns Hopkins propaganda piece on Lyme Carditis I would like to call attention to the following studies:

 

In August of 2012 the CDC announced that the number of Lyme disease cases could be off by a factor of ten adjusting the number to 300,000 new cases annually. The results of the 2014 Lyme Carditis study below was based on 30,000 annual cases from 2001-2010 and must also be off by a factor of ten. The numbers presented in this CDC report are not likely to be representative of the true extent of the problem.

 

Update on Lyme Carditis, Groups at High Risk, and Frequency of Associated Sudden Cardiac Death — United States

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/834162

 

Here's what the numbers look like when considering the miscalculation over the same nine year period: (2001–2010)

 

18,760 cases of Lyme carditis.

  7,020 died from all causes within a year of Lyme disease diagnosis.

       50 were classified as suspected cases of Lyme carditis–associated mortality.

 

This study also reports 42% of patients had an accompanying erythema migrans (bulls-eye rash). That's substantially less than the CDC's 60%-80% claim as found on the CDC's 2011 Case Definition page:

http://wwwn.cdc.gov/NNDSS/script/casedef.aspx?CondYrID=752&DatePub=1/1/2011%2012:00:00%20AM

 

The following study reports the deaths of three seemingly healthy individuals who dropped dead from Lyme Carditis. It is important to recognize here that the cause of death was only identified due to the fact that the three Lyme patients were potential organ donors otherwise these cases would not have been identified or reported. We have to ask the question, "How many seemingly healthy Lyme patients have donated blood?" (Our blood supply is not screened for Lyme disease)

 

Three Sudden Cardiac Deaths Associated with Lyme Carditis — United States,

December 13, 2013 / 62(49);993-996

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6249a1.htm

 

Additional study:

 

Lyme disease: A case report of a 17-year old male with fatal Lyme carditis

E. Yoon correspondence, E. Vail, G. Kleinman, P.A. Lento, S. Li, G. Wang, R. Limberger, J.T. Fallon

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25864163

 

 Johns Hopkins Comment #2  "Like other manifestations of Lyme disease, carditis can readily be managed with antibiotic therapy and supportive care measures, such that affected patients almost always completely recover."

 

Since we do not have a lab test to gauge treatment failure or success how do we know for certain that those who do not recover aren't dealing with antibiotic resistant infection?

 

There appears to be a deliberate and coordinated downplay of the seriousness of Lyme disease with its life altering consequences. The Johns Hopkins article is no exception to the ongoing deception. 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Carl Tuttle

Hudson, NH 03051

Website: New Hampshire Lyme Misdiagnosis

 

Petition: Calling for a Congressional investigation of the CDC, IDSA and ALDF

 

Letter to the Editor, The Lancet Infectious Diseases Published May 2012

 

 

Additional References:

 

1. Undetected Lyme disease nearly killed Duke researcher
http://www.wral.com/lifestyles/healthteam/story/8331364/

 

Fatal Lyme carditis and endodermal heterotopia of the atrioventricular node.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2429516/

 

2. Fatal pancarditis in a patient with coexistent Lyme disease and babesiosis. Demonstration of spirochetes in the myocardium.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/4040723

 

3. Lyme borreliosis as a cause of myocarditis and heart muscle disease.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1915460

 

4. Cardiac Lyme disease - case report - A Fatality confirmed with Autopsy PCR study

Postmortem confirmation of Lyme carditis with polymerase chain reaction.

http://umaryland.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/postmortem-confirmation-of-lyme-carditis-with-polymerase-chain-reaction%2896d9181d-9d52-4fc7-9149-287cd0123f84%29.html

 

5. Unclassified cardiomyopathy or Lyme carditis? A three year follow-up.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23575786