Prevalence and Costs: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is a complex, multi-systemic disorder affecting from 1-4 million people in the United States and approximately 200,000 people in Canada. CFS typically costs families approximately $25,000 a year in lost wages and medical costs. Total costs to the US economy range from 19-25 billion dollars a year.
Who Gets CFS? While people of every age, sex and socioeconomic class get CFS, middle-aged women appear to be at the highest risk for CFS. Some evidence suggests that people with lower incomes have a higher risk of getting CFS.
Some researchers believe increased rates of physical and/or psychological stress may increase ones risk of getting CFS. Many CFS patients cannot, however, identify a trigger for their illness. CFS does not appear to be contagious but some evidence suggests there is a hereditary component to CFS and that it can run in some families.
Symptoms and Diagnosis: Only approximately 20% of CFS patients in the U.S. have been diagnosed. Because no laboratory tests unique to CFS have been found CFS patients are identified using symptoms. According to the International Definition (1994) CFS is characterized by unexplained severe fatigue lasting for over six months that is not substantially alleviated by rest. CFS patients must also display four or more of the following symptoms; post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, memory and/or concentration problems, muscle and/or joint pains, headaches, sore throat and tender lymph nodes.
Because diagnosing CFS requires ruling out numerous other diseases (thyroid disease, multiple sclerosis, depression, etc.) that could cause similar symptoms CFS can only be diagnosed by a physician. CFS patients commonly also display a wide array of other symptoms.
Dig Deeper: Diagnosing CFS / Symptoms
Prognosis: Recovery rates appear to be highest in the first two years of the disease. A significant percentage of CFS patients improve over time and a smaller number decline. While total recoveries do occur they do not appear to be common. Recovery can occur, however, even in patients who have had CFS for decades. Studies on mortality are rare but CFS does not appear to be associated with increased mortality.
Causes of CFS: A wide variety of immune, endocrine, cardiovascular and central nervous abnormalities have been reported in CFS. Among the causes suggested for CFS include damage to parts of the brain governing cognition, memory, mood, energy and perception, an altered stress response, an unbalanced immune system, a hidden chronic infection, dysfunction of the interferon pathway, rampant free radical production, abnormal sympathetic nervous system activity, cardiac dysfunction and others.
Dig Deeper: Causes of CFS
Treating CFS: There is no cure for CFS but physicians employ a wide variety of pharmaceutical drugs, alternative therapies, nutritional aids and coping strategies to ameliorate the symptoms of CFS.
Dig Deeper: Prognosis and Treatment Success Rates / Treating CFS
The Future: CFS has made great strides in gaining legitimacy over the past five years. In 2006 the head of the CDC and the Assistant Secretary of Health kicked off an extensive media campaign designed to inform the public and physicians of the serious nature of CFS. CFS researchers have recently uncovered immune, nervous system and endocrine abnormalities in CFS patients. While CFS's legitimacy in the public arena has increased research funding remains low and in some areas has declined.
Dig Deeper: Advocacy Pages
______________________________
Centers For Disease Control:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
CFIDS Association of America:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
