Unorthodox Alternative Therapies Marketed to Treat Lyme Disease
Unorthodox Alternative Therapies Marketed to Treat Lyme Disease
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DOI：
10.1093/cid/civ186
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发表时间：
2015-06-15
影响因子：
11.8
通讯作者：
Wormser, Gary P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Lantos, Paul M.;Shapiro, Eugene D.;Wormser, Gary P.
背景。一些有医学上无法解释的症状或替代医学诊断的患者怀疑他们长期患有蜱传感染莱姆病。这些患者通常是替代疗法提供者的目标。本研究旨在确定和描述莱姆病诊断患者宣传的非正统替代疗法的范围。使用谷歌搜索引擎进行互联网搜索，以确定销售莱姆病非抗菌疗法的诊所和服务网站。随后，我们使用PubMed搜索引擎来确定评估此类莱姆病治疗的任何科学研究。只要网站宣传了一种商业、非抗菌产品或服务，并特别提到了对莱姆病的效用，就被纳入我们的审查。有患者推荐的网站（如讨论组）被排除，除非该推荐出现在商业网站的营销中。确定了30多种替代疗法，可分为几大类：包括氧气疗法和活性氧疗法；能量和放射疗法；营养治疗;螯合与重金属治疗；以及生物和药物治疗，从某些对伯氏疏螺旋体没有公认治疗效果的药物到干细胞移植。对医学文献的回顾没有证实疗效，或者在大多数情况下，没有证实广告治疗的任何理由。替代疗法的提供者通常针对那些认为自己患有莱姆病的患者。这些非传统疗法对莱姆病的疗效没有科学证据支持，而且在许多情况下，它们可能有害。
Background. Some patients with medically unexplained symptoms or alternative medical diagnoses suspect that they chronically suffer from the tick-borne infection Lyme disease. These patients are commonly targeted by providers of alternative therapies. This study was designed to identify and characterize the range of unorthodox alternative therapies advertised to patients with a diagnosis of Lyme disease.Methods. Internet searches using the Google search engine were performed to identify the websites of clinics and services that marketed nonantimicrobial therapies for Lyme disease. We subsequently used the PubMed search engine to identify any scientific studies evaluating such treatments for Lyme disease. Websites were included in our review so long as they advertised a commercial, nonantimicrobial product or service that specifically mentioned utility for Lyme disease. Websites with patient testimonials (such as discussion groups) were excluded unless the testimonial appeared as marketing on a commercial site.Results. More than 30 alternative treatments were identified, which fell into several broad categories: these included oxygen and reactive oxygen therapy; energy and radiation-based therapies; nutritional therapy; chelation and heavy metal therapy; and biological and pharmacological therapies ranging from certain medications without recognized therapeutic effects on Borrelia burgdorgeri to stem cell transplantation. Review of the medical literature did not substantiate efficacy or, in most cases, any rationale for the advertised treatments.Conclusions. Providers of alternative therapies commonly target patients who believe they have Lyme disease. The efficacy of these unconventional treatments for Lyme disease is not supported by scientific evidence, and in many cases they are potentially harmful.