More than a quarter of people with Lyme disease have long-term complaints, even after treatment, that lead to limitations in daily life. This concerns complaints such as fatigue, pain and concentration problems.
These complaints can also occur in people without Lyme disease, but less often and less seriously than in Lyme patients. This is evident from the large-scale Dutch study LymeProspect, conducted by the RIVM, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboud University Medical Center) and Amsterdam UMC (University Medical Center).
Importance of the research
The LymeProspect research shows that some Lyme patients remain limited in their physical and social functioning after treatment with antibiotics. In addition, fatigue, pain and concentration problems are reported more often by people with Lyme disease than by people without the disease: about 27% of Lyme patients, and 21% to 23% of people without this disease. The complaints of the Lyme patients were also more serious. Such long-term complaints therefore appear to be the result of Lyme disease, although in a small but substantial proportion of patients. It is important to recognize persistent complaints and gain better insight into the causes of these complaints. This can contribute to preventing complaints and improving their treatment.
Unique research
Lead researcher Kees van den Wijngaard of the RIVM: “The study ran from 2015 to 2020 and is the largest study ever into persistent complaints after treatment for Lyme disease. More than 1,100 adults in the Netherlands who contracted this disease were followed for a year to investigate how often and to what extent persistent complaints occur.” The quality of life was examined, as well as complaints such as fatigue, pain and concentration problems that arose within six months after treatment and lasted for at least six months. People could register via Tekenradar.nl or via their doctor or GP. In addition, 6,500 people without this disease participated in the study to check how often these complaints normally occur. Some of them had reported a tick bite and some had not.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is caused by the Borrelia bacteria that is transmitted by ticks. Every year, approximately 27,000 people in the Netherlands develop this disease, often in the form of a red ring or spot at the site of the tick bite (erythema migrans). Most people recover completely after antibiotic treatment, but some suffer from long-term complaints. Until now, it had not been properly investigated how often these complaints occur. Why some people continue to have complaints is the subject of follow-up research by the RIVM, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboud University Medical Center) and Amsterdam UMC (University Medical Center).
2023-12-02 16:30:00
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