US panel to redefine chronic fatigue syndrome as systemic exertion intolerance disease

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a condition characterized by long-term disabling tiredness, has remained an unclassified disease for long. The existence and definition of this disease have been debated and doubted even my medical professionals although patients claim to suffer from it. Now the panel of the US Institute of Medicine (IOM), commissioned by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has produced an influential report on how the disease should be diagnosed. It has also suggested a new name for the syndrome: systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID). Although researchers are viewing the definitive statement that the disease is real, not psychological, in a positive light, some psychologists and medical practitioners do not agree with the new name suggested for the disease as it can be confusing, as well as the revised diagnostic criteria since they feel it is too broad and will result in too many patients being diagnosed. The HHS is likely to adopt the new definition, but the debate over the diagnostic criteria is likely to continue.

Read more in Nature.