Association between chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis and cardiovascular disease, 2025, Denu+

Abstract:
Chronic fatigue syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a medical condition characterized by severe and prolonged fatigue that is not relieved by rest or attributed to any underlying medical or psychological condition. Individuals with CFS/ME are considered to have an increased risk of a wide range of comorbid conditions, including cardiovascular disease (CVD). The association between CFS/ME and CVD is not fully understood.

To determine the prevalence of CFS/ME in a sample population and examine its association with CVD. Weighted sample size data of 114,834 was analyzed from the 2021–2022 national health interview survey (NHIS). Information on sociodemographic factors, CVD risk factors, and history of CFS/ME and CVD were collected. Multivariable logistic regression model was used to determine the association between CFS/ME and CVD, adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors (age, sex, race, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, and body mass index (BMI). Median age of participants was 53 years, and majority of participants were female (53.9%). Prevalence of CFS/ME was 1.2%.

A history of CFS/ME was significantly associated with CVD (aOR 3.26, 95%CI 2.85, 3.72, p-value: <0.001) after adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors. A history of CFS/ME was independently associated with CVD after adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors. Patients with CFS/ME need close evaluation for CVD. Further studies are needed to better understand the relationship between CFS/ME and CVD.

Link | PDF (Nature Scientific Reports, January 2025, open access)

 

This doesn’t include activity levels.

 

Too wide definitions?

If that’s the case, the activity level might be very important. Nice catch!

 

I can’t tell if “lack of adherence to medical treatments” refers to the fact we have worse access to healthcare, or the bigoted “you don’t want to get better”, difficult patient, stereotypes.

 

Yeah this will include loads of “idiopathic chronic fatigue” cases

 

Or can’t afford to get care or to adhere to the treatments - it’s the US after all.

And treatments of what exactly?

 

Treatments for cardiovascular problems I assume.

 

It’s better than nothing, and the phrasing makes it so that the source of bias is consistent if anything.

The underlying problem is lack of knowledge of ME/CFS and therefore both under- and over-use of the diagnosis. Good that they are aware of this.

Is depression commonly associated with ME/CFS?

 

This somewhat fits with our recent Nature paper where we saw lipoprotein profiles in the ME/CFS cohort of the UK Biobank typically associated with elevated CVD risk.

 

There was a short NCHS Data Brief from November 2023 with some more data from the same (2021-2022) NHIS survey:

https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db488.pdf
S4ME thread:
https://s4me.info/threads/cdc-data-...s-2021–2022-2023-vahratian-unger-et-al.36480/