Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Support Group
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) describes a sense of exhaustion and post-exertion malaise, even when you have gotten enough rest and sleep. The disease is characterized by six months of incapacitating fatigue experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina, and problems with concentration and short-term memory. The cause is unknown, but it is a...
If anyone still believes that the Centers for Disease Control is trying to help us, the following bit of silliness should clear that up:
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is defined by self-reported symptoms. There are no diagnostic signs or laboratory markers, and the pathophysiology remains inchoate.
In part, difficulties identifying and replicating biomarkers and elucidating the pathophysiology reflect the heterogeneous nature of the syndromic illness CFS. We conducted this analysis of people from defined metropolitan, urban, and rural populations to replicate our earlier empirical delineation of medically unexplained chronic fatigue and CFS into discrete endophenotypes.
Both the earlier and current analyses utilized quantitative measures of functional impairment and symptoms as well as laboratory data. This study and the earlier one enrolled participants from defined populations and measured the internal milieu, which differentiates them from studies of clinic referrals that examine only clinical phenotypes.
Methods: This analysis evaluated 386 women identified in a population-based survey of chronic fatigue and unwellness in metropolitan, urban, and rural populations of the state of Georgia, USA.
We used variables previously demonstrated to effectively delineate endophenotypes in an attempt to replicate identification of these endophenotypes. Latent class analyses were used to derive the classes, and these were compared and contrasted to those described in the previous study based in Wichita, Kansas.
Results: We identified five classes in the best fit analysis.
Participants in Class 1 (25%) were polysymptomatic, with sleep problems and depressed mood. Class 2 (24%) was also polysymptomatic, with insomnia and depression, but participants were also obese with associated metabolic strain.
Class 3 (20%) had more selective symptoms but was equally obese with metabolic strain. Class 4 (20%) and Class 5 (11%) consisted of nonfatigued, less symptomatic individuals, Class 4 being older and Class 5 younger.
The classes were generally validated by independent variables. People with CFS fell equally into Classes 1 and 2.
Similarities to the Wichita findings included the same four main defining variables of obesity, sleep problems, depression, and the multiplicity of symptoms. Four out of five classes were similar across both studies.
Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that chronic medically unexplained fatigue is heterogeneous and can be delineated into discrete endophenotypes that can be replicated.
The data do not support the current perception that CFS represents a unique homogeneous disease and suggests broader criteria may be more explanatory. This replication suggests that delineation of endophenotypes of CFS and associated ill health may be necessary in order to better understand etiology and provide more patient-focused treatments.
Author: Eric AslaksonUte Vollmer-ConnaWilliam ReevesPeter White
Credits/Source: Population Health Metrics 2009, 7:17
Dr. William Reeves is the head of CFS research at the CDC.
This is undoubtedly the worst example of junk science I have ever had the misfortune to read. It this had submitted as a freshman term paper in any science class I ever took, the student would have been given an F.
It is filled with logical non sequiturs and complete absurdities cloaked in a lot of psuedoscientific phraseology. And it is painfully obvious that the authors started out with their conclusions and then set up an amateurish model that would supposedly prove those conclusions. That is the opposite of the scientific method and yet another example of why doctors should not be allowed to conduct research without close supervision by someone trained in science.
Come on, you separate people into fatties and skinnies as part of your experimental model? And then call it a scientific study of a neuroimmune disease? What sort of ignorant people would be fooled by something that silly???
If it were not such a tragic situation, this would all be hilariously funny.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is defined by self-reported symptoms. There are no diagnostic signs or laboratory markers, and the pathophysiology remains inchoate.
In part, difficulties identifying and replicating biomarkers and elucidating the pathophysiology reflect the heterogeneous nature of the syndromic illness CFS. We conducted this analysis of people from defined metropolitan, urban, and rural populations to replicate our earlier empirical delineation of medically unexplained chronic fatigue and CFS into discrete endophenotypes.
Both the earlier and current analyses utilized quantitative measures of functional impairment and symptoms as well as laboratory data. This study and the earlier one enrolled participants from defined populations and measured the internal milieu, which differentiates them from studies of clinic referrals that examine only clinical phenotypes.
Methods: This analysis evaluated 386 women identified in a population-based survey of chronic fatigue and unwellness in metropolitan, urban, and rural populations of the state of Georgia, USA.
We used variables previously demonstrated to effectively delineate endophenotypes in an attempt to replicate identification of these endophenotypes. Latent class analyses were used to derive the classes, and these were compared and contrasted to those described in the previous study based in Wichita, Kansas.
Results: We identified five classes in the best fit analysis.
Participants in Class 1 (25%) were polysymptomatic, with sleep problems and depressed mood. Class 2 (24%) was also polysymptomatic, with insomnia and depression, but participants were also obese with associated metabolic strain.
Class 3 (20%) had more selective symptoms but was equally obese with metabolic strain. Class 4 (20%) and Class 5 (11%) consisted of nonfatigued, less symptomatic individuals, Class 4 being older and Class 5 younger.
The classes were generally validated by independent variables. People with CFS fell equally into Classes 1 and 2.
Similarities to the Wichita findings included the same four main defining variables of obesity, sleep problems, depression, and the multiplicity of symptoms. Four out of five classes were similar across both studies.
Conclusions: These data support the hypothesis that chronic medically unexplained fatigue is heterogeneous and can be delineated into discrete endophenotypes that can be replicated.
The data do not support the current perception that CFS represents a unique homogeneous disease and suggests broader criteria may be more explanatory. This replication suggests that delineation of endophenotypes of CFS and associated ill health may be necessary in order to better understand etiology and provide more patient-focused treatments.
Author: Eric AslaksonUte Vollmer-ConnaWilliam ReevesPeter White
Credits/Source: Population Health Metrics 2009, 7:17
Dr. William Reeves is the head of CFS research at the CDC.
This is undoubtedly the worst example of junk science I have ever had the misfortune to read. It this had submitted as a freshman term paper in any science class I ever took, the student would have been given an F.
It is filled with logical non sequiturs and complete absurdities cloaked in a lot of psuedoscientific phraseology. And it is painfully obvious that the authors started out with their conclusions and then set up an amateurish model that would supposedly prove those conclusions. That is the opposite of the scientific method and yet another example of why doctors should not be allowed to conduct research without close supervision by someone trained in science.
Come on, you separate people into fatties and skinnies as part of your experimental model? And then call it a scientific study of a neuroimmune disease? What sort of ignorant people would be fooled by something that silly???
If it were not such a tragic situation, this would all be hilariously funny.
The above is more "blame the victim" science. Diabetes? You must be fat. CFS? You must be fat. Cancer? You either are too fat, smoked, or were in the sun. It's YOUR fault. Rape? You must have been wearing a short skirt.
I was never really healthy again after that. Another student who worked in the same building got emphysema from it. And yet there it is in the carpet cleaner, the particle board, etc. Nothing changes.
Read your labels, people. You will see it in many things as paraformaldehyde, and so on. Many adhesives are made with paraformaldehyde, which gives off formaldehyde as a gas.