Development of cardiovascular complications and their correlation with Lyme disease.

Abstract

Cardiovascular disease is at the forefront of global health issues and contributes to myocardial infarction, stroke, and even death. Lyme disease (LD), spread by ticks of the genus Ixodes, is a contributing factor to the potential development of abnormalities in the heart. The bacterial agents Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Borrelia burgdorferi are known to cause a variety of infections and we speculate that infection with Borrelia is a contributing factor to cardiac abnormalities, especially Lyme carditis (LC). Patients who demonstrate undiagnosed cardiac abnormalities should be monitored for potential infection with Lyme disease and, consequently LC. Lyme carditis affects up to 10% of patients that have been diagnosed with LD and additionally, it indiscriminately manifests across a range of ages, from the pediatric populace to the elderly. Given the grave cardiac abnormalities that can arise from LC and the propensity for misdiagnosis, it is critical that medical professionals be aware of the cardiovascular signs and symptoms of Atrioventricular Heart Block (AHB). AHB can lead to third degree heart block in patients and potentially lead to death if left not properly diagnosed and treated. Essential treatments are readily available for Lyme carditis, which include a range of antibiotics and surgical procedures. In this review, we highlight not only the true nature of Lyme disease, but more importantly, the positive correlation between LD and a variety of undiagnosed heart complications.