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Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (or encephalopathy) (CFS/ME) is a debilitating condition characterised by persistent and prolonged fatigue i.e. for more than 4 or 6 months. Fatigue is not due to exertion and is not relieved by rest or refreshed by sleep. It is also accompanied by a variety of other symptoms, for example, headaches, sleep disturbance, muscular skeletal pain, cognitive difficulties (e.g. difficulty thinking, concentrating, remembering, finding words, organising thoughts or processing information), painful lymph nodes, sore throat, dizziness, nausea, or palpitations.
The pattern and intensity of symptoms vary between people, and during the course of each person's illness. There is a resultant substantial reduction of previous levels of occupational, educational, social, or personal activities. It is defined when it causes more than 15% impairment, without medical or psychiatric conditions that can account for the symptoms.
A diagnosis is made after other possible diagnoses have been excluded and the symptoms have persisted for more than 4 months in an adult and 3 months in a child or young person.
The causes and disease processes of CFS/ME are still not understood, minor alterations of immune, neurological, hormonal function may be associated with this syndrome. It may occur following stressful life events or infection. There is also considerable overlap between this condition and fibromyalgia. 1/2/3/4/6
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterised by widespread musculoskeltal pain which is associated with 11- 18 particular tender points. This pain cannot be traced to a specific structural or inflammatory cause. Muscle pain is typically aggravated by inactivity or exposure to cold. This condition is often associated with general symptoms, such as sleep disturbances, fatigue, stiffness, mood disturbances, headaches, and depression. Fibromyalgia may occur as a disease itself or as part of another disease. 3/4/5
It is difficult to get an accurate estimate of the prevalence of CFS/ME in the population. This is because surveys use different case definitions, varied assessment and reporting methods, and sometimes have poor response rates.
CFS/ME is thought to affect about 0.3-0.4% of the UK population. The most common age of onset in adults is between early 20s and mid 40s, in children it is between 13 and 15 years old, but cases have occurred as young as 5years old.
It is twice as common in women than in men and affects all socio-economic classes and ethnicity.
The prevalence of Fibromyalgia is again unclear. It is thought to affect about 1% of the population in Britain and 2% of the population in America. It is thought to affect predominantly women (over 80 percent) between the ages of 35 and 55. Fibromyalgia can also affect men, children, and the elderly, but this is rare. 7
The following references have been used in this article
| Ref # | Reference Name | Date Published | Author(s) |
| 1 | Effect of high doses of essential fatty acids on the postviral fatigue syndrome - Acta Neurol Scand 1990 Sep;82(3):209-16 | 1990 | [4001] Behan PO Behan WM Horrobin D |
| 2 | Interventions for the treatment and management of chronic fatigue syndrome: a systematic review - JAMA 2001 Sep 19;286(11):1360-8 | 2001 | [4002] Whiting P Bagnall AM Sowden AJ Cornell JE Mulrow CD Ramírez G |
| 3 | The role of essential fatty acids in chronic fatigue syndrome A case-controlled study of red-cell membrane essential fatty acids (EFA) and a placebo-controlled treatment study with high dose of EFA - Acta Neurol Scand 1999 Feb;99(2):112-6 | 1999 | [4003] Warren G McKendrick M Peet M |
| 4 | Interventions for the treatment management and rehabilitation of patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an updated systematic review - J R Soc Med 2006 Oct;99(10):506-20 | 2006 | [4004] Chambers D Bagnall AM Hempel S Forbes C |
| 5 | In chronic fatigue syndrome the decreased levels of omega-3 poly-unsaturated fatty acids are related to lowered serum zinc and defects in T cell activation - Neuro Endocrinol Lett 2005 Dec;26(6):745-51 | 2005 | [4005] Maes M Mihaylova I Leunis JC |
| 6 | The use of ecosapentaenoic acid in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome - Prostaglandins Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids 70 (2004) 399-401 | 2004 | [4006] Puri BK |
| 7 | Changes in growth hormone insulin insulinlike growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding protein-1 in chronic fatigue syndrome - Biol Psychiatry 1997 Mar 1;41(5):567-73 | 1997 | [4007] Allain TJ Bearn JA Coskeran P Jones J Checkley A Butler J Wessely S Miell JP |
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