Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (cont.)
Recovery from CFS
- CFS affects each individual differently. Some people with CFS remain
homebound and others improve to the point that they can resume work and other
activities, even though they continue to experience symptoms.
- Recovery rates for
CFS are unclear. Improvement rates varied from 8% to 63% in a 2005 review of
published studies, with a median of 40% of patients improving during follow-up.
However, full recovery from CFS may be rare, with an average of only 5% to 10%
sustaining total remission.
Possible Causes of CFS
- Despite an intensive, nearly 20-year search, the cause of CFS remains
unknown. Many different infectious agents and physiologic and psychological
causes have been considered, and the search continues.
- Much of the ongoing
research into a cause has centered on the roles the immune, endocrine and
nervous systems may play in CFS. More recently, interactions among these factors
are under evaluation.
- Genetic and environmental factors may play a role in
developing and/or prolonging the illness, although more research is needed to
confirm this. CDC is applying cutting-edge genomic and proteomic tools to
understand the origins and pathogenesis of CFS.
- CFS is not caused by depression,
although the two illnesses often coexist, and many patients with CFS have no
psychiatric disorder.
SOURCE:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Last Editorial Review: 2/10/2010 5:54:14 PM
