Inflammation could be the main cause of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome says new study

On a particular day, feeling tired and unrested can lead to severe loss of alertness and productivity at work. But imagine going through extreme exhaustion day after day that doesn’t allow you to do much. People suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome experience debilitating exhaustion that lasts for large periods of time. Now new research findings explain the primary drivers of the disease.   

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have released research findings that link chronic fatigue syndrome to inflammation. High-throughput analysis was used to link inflammation to chronic fatigue syndrome. The study that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences established that the condition is known to affect at least a million people in the U.S. The researchers plan to launch diagnostic laboratory tests to detect the condition.

Confused for ordinary tiredness and depression, the condition is often trivialized as something the patients may have invented. But researchers have described the symptoms as extreme exhaustion, flu-like symptoms, muscle pain, and brain fog. The symptoms get worse with minor exertion. Some patients are completely confined to bed and become dependent on others.     

The main idea behind publishing the findings was the hope of finding a drug for the inflammation. Although there is much to learn about the condition, researchers hope drug companies will actively pursue and develop medication for it. There’s also hope that a decade from now, more will be known about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which will assist researchers in knowing exactly what is to be measured and what can be done to ease the suffering.

Source:
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1710519114