Treating Chronic Fatigue states .... 1 in 400 people in the developed world have CFS ... ?

Treating Chronic Fatigue states as a disease of the regulation of energy metabolism.

Journal: Med Hypotheses. 2008 Aug 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Author: Bains W.

Affiliation: Delta G Ltd, 37 The Moor, Melbourn, Royston, Herts SG8 6ED, UK.

NLM Citation: PMID: 18684570

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is a physiological state in which the patient feels high levels of fatigue without an obvious organic cause, which affects around 1 in 400 people in the developed world. A wide range of causes have been suggested, including immune or hormonal dysfunction, viral or bacterial infection, and psychological somatization.

It is likely that several causes are needed to trigger the disease, and that the triggers are different from the mechanisms that maintain fatigue over months or years. Many treatments have been tested for CFS, with very limited success - a programme of combined CBT and graded exercise shows the most effect.

I suggest that patients with CFS have a reduced ability to increase mitochondrial energy production when exertion requires it, with fewer mitochondria that are each more efficient, and hence nearer to their maximum energy output, than normal.

A range of indirect evidence suggests that the renin-angiotensin system stimulates mitochondrial responsiveness and reduces mitochondrial efficiency: chronic under-stimulation of this system could contribute to CFS aetiology.

If correct, this means that CFS can be successfully treated with RAS agonists (eg angiotensin mimetics), or adrenergic agonists. It also suggests that there will be a positive link between the use of adrenergic- and RAS-blocking drugs and CFS incidence, and a negative link between adrenergic agonist use and CFS.

More thoughts:

http://www.valdezlink.com/re/mitochondrialmyopathy-cpeo.htm

mitochondrial disease Such as Aristotle Onassis had after FLU:

"I'm convinced that metabolic features (changes in cholesterol and lipid profile, changes in glucose uptake and cell use, mitochondrial diseases and so on) are among main underestimated issue of 2-BE" says a French journalist studying 2-butoxyethanol and its effects.

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Increased oxidative stress suggested by low serum vitamin E concentrations in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

Journal: Int J Cardiol. 2008 Aug 4. [Epub ahead of print]

Authors: Miwa K, Fujita M.

Affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Nanto Home and Regional Medical Center, 577 Matsubara, Nanto, Toyama 939-1518, Japan.

NLM Citation: PMID: 18684522

Serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations were determined in 50 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and 40 control subjects (Control).

Prevalence of each or any coronary risk factor was not significantly different between CFS and Control. CFS had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol concentrations than Control. The concentrations were significantly lower in the subjects with any coronary risk factors than those without in CFS as well as Control. Even among the subjects with any coronary risk factors and also among those without, CFS had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol concentrations than Control.

In conclusion, CFS had significantly lower alpha-tocopherol concentrations irrespective of coronary risk factors than Control, suggesting the presence of increased oxidative stress in CFS.