Donnica Moore, MD, President, Sapphire Women’s Health Group, discusses Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or CFS, its definition and symptoms. CFS is a chronic, debilitating neuroimmune disease that not only is characterized by prolonged fatigue and post-exertional malaise for more than 6 months but it must also fit the symptoms according to the Fukuda criteria. Secondary symptoms include sore throat, cervical lymphadenopathy, joint pain and cognitive dysfunction. Patients with CFS are usually female, in their 30s and 40s, but the disease can affect children and teenagers as well.

Reading:
Maes M, Twisk FN. Why myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) may kill you: disorders in the inflammatory and oxidative and nitrosative stress (IO&NS) pathways may explain cardiovascular disorders in ME/CFS. Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2009 Dec 30;30(6).
Wiborg JF, Knoop H, Stulemeijer M, Prins JB, Bleijenberg G. How does cognitive behaviour therapy reduce fatigue in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome? The role of physical activity. Psychol Med. 2010 Jan 5:1-7
Cockshell SJ, Mathias JL. Cognitive functioning in chronic fatigue syndrome: a meta-analysis. Psychol Med. 2010 Jan 5:1-15.