Huff Post Article on Worldwide Lyme & Thoughts from Congress

The Huffington Post provided a platform to allow Congressmen to express their ideas about Lyme disease worldwide. The Lyme Disease Association (LDA) compiled stats showing that Lyme is found in more than 80 countries worldwide, about 40% of countries. Congressman Smith has long been the House leader on Lyme issues, Co-Chairing the Lyme Caucus, introducing legislation, acquiring funding and hosting a ground-breaking Global Health & Human Rights subcommittee hearing in 2012 which opened the door to further exploration of worldwide Lyme disease.  Click here for full article

The US House Global Health Subcommittee hearing testimony made public the fact that the peer review process which governs funding and publishing is broken and that the grant awards process of government agencies for Lyme disease needs to be scrutinized to ensure that monies are fairly awarded to researchers and are used to support cutting edge research, not just enhance the dogma already holding back diagnosis and treatment of Lyme.

Progress could be made if some doctors and researchers including Dr. Auwaerter, quoted in the Huff Post, would champion the need for research especially in the area of post treatment infection or chronic Lyme, rather than making misleading statements which certainly do not put patients’ needs first: “Additional studies of long-term antibiotics would be a lower priority since studies to date have not provided a signal regarding benefit.”

Why would anyone of good conscience minimize the value of research into areas  where there is so much suffering and so many scientific unknowns?

Benefits of long term treatment for Lyme have been shown, and even NIH on its website acknowledges that researchers are still searching for answers:  “After receiving treatment for Lyme disease, patients may still experience muscle or joint aches and nervous system symptoms, such as trouble with memory and concentration. To help combat these problems, researchers are trying to find out how long a person should take antibiotics for the various symptoms that may follow a bout with Lyme disease.”

Reforming procedures including peer review so that conflicting viewpoints on Lyme held by reputable and conscientious scientists are allowed to be considered for research funding, publications, and treatment needs to be a priority. The process needs to include patients, advocates and “real” clinicians─ treating physicians who feel a responsibility to work with their patients to help them regain health rather than simply doling out a handful of doxycycline from p. 3 of their Lyme cookbook and then sending them away without any intent to legitimately monitor progress, to make future adjustments in treatment regimens, or  to otherwise provide the clinical care necessary to help those who often have a life altering disease.