The chronic fatigue syndrome may become easier to diagnose after discovering a biomarker.
Stanford University researchers released a news study which might just make the chronic fatigue syndrome or ME/CFS, the myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, easier to diagnose. It may also make it easier to treat, possibly even find a cure as the scientists believe to have detected one of its biomarkers.
People who have developed ME/CFS can become unable to go about their activities of daily life. Most individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome usually still feel tired even after they have rested well. Both mental and physical activities can increase the fatigue the person feels. Other symptoms of ME/CFS include trouble sleeping or concentrating. People sometimes experience dizziness or chronic pain or PEM, which is post-exertional malaise. PEM may occur after a period of mental or physical exertion.
An individual with the chronic fatigue syndrome may not be able to leave the house 300-206 or get out of bed at times, leaving them disabled. This condition also makes it hard for a person to take care of themselves and others, and people with it may even experience flu-like symptoms.
Stanford Study Identifies Possible Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Biomarkers
A recent Stanford study has identified the potential biomarkers that link chronic fatigue syndrome to inflammation. After years of the medical community considering ME/CFS a psychological condition, researchers have linked 17 cytokines in the blood to the severity of chronic fatigue syndrome. The study divulged that lower cytokine levels were discovered in people with lower levels of fatigue. At the same time, higher levels were associated with greater levels of tiredness. Thirteen of the seventeen possible biomarker indicators were pro-inflammatory, which most likely contribute to the symptoms an ME/CFS patient experiences.
Understanding the possible biomarker that causes illness will enable researchers to develop a diagnostic test for the fatigue syndrome. ME/CFS affects as many as 2.5 million people in America, according to the CDC. Now, there is hope that a blood test will be developed to give physicians a definite diagnosis of the illness.
“There’s been a great deal of controversy and confusion surrounding ME/CFS — even whether it is an actual disease,” stated Dr. Mark Davis, the study’s senior author. “Our findings show clearly that it’s an inflammatory disease and provide a solid basis for a diagnostic blood test.”
However, more research about ME/CFS is still needed. While different 300-070 organisms can cause various diseases, doctors believe that multiple pathogens, both bacterial and viral, can trigger CFS symptoms. More funding and research will be needed to identify what precisely triggers the syndrome, however.
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