CFS Home Page Features
Medscape CME course on CFS
Featured: May 21, 2012 - CDC is pleased to announce the launch of a free continuing education activity for healthcare providers titled "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Challenges in Primary Care." The course is being hosted by Medscape, an accredited CME/CE/CPE education provider. This engaging video roundtable features expert faculty and focuses on diagnosis and management of chronic fatigue syndrome for all healthcare providers with an emphasis in the primary care field.
Cytokines and the Symptoms of CFS
Featured: December 6, 2011 - An important area of research in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is to look at the ways viruses can lead to fatigue and other symptoms that are found in CFS. For many years, scientists have suspected that viruses may be involved in the cause of CFS. In order to understand how viruses may lead to symptoms of CFS, scientists from CDC have been working with researchers from Emory University to study how cytokines, such as interferon-alpha, cause CFS symptoms like fatigue.
Disability and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Featured: March 24, 2011 - The Social Security Administration (SSA) issued policy interpretation ruling SSR 99-2p to state and clarify their policy for evaluating disability in cases of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). We encourage you to see the full document at the Social Security Administration's website but have provided an overview of the policy. Although this information was summarized in 1999, it still constitutes the working guidelines followed by the SSA.
Publication of a CDC Scientific Report on XMRV and CFS
Featured: July 21, 2010 - On July 1, 2010, CDC researchers and colleagues from two institutions reported results of a study in which they found no evidence of infection with xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) among patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a serious disorder that affects 1 to 4 million U.S. adults. The CDC-led team used a combination of different molecular and serologic assays to test archived blood specimens from CFS patients and healthy controls. Results of blinded testing performed at CDC and two other laboratories were negative for XMRV. These findings are in sharp contrast to results from a recent U.S. study by Lombardi et al (Science 2009) that detected XMRV in about two-thirds of CFS patients and nearly 4% of healthy controls, but are consistent with three other recent studies in Europe that found no link between XMRV and CFS. The CDC-led team concluded that these data do not support an association between XMRV and CFS in their study population.
CFS Research Program 5-year Strategic Plan
Featured: July 21, 2010 - In November 2008, CDC convened an external peer review panel to examine its Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research Program. One recommendation of this panel was to develop a strategic plan for research. CDC sought broad public input in the development of its plan, including comments during and following an April 2009 public meeting, discussions with collaborators, and input received at and following the May 2009 HHS CFS Advisory Committee meeting.
Childhood Adversity as a Risk Factor for Adult CFS
Featured: July 21, 2010 - It is a well-established fact that experiences during early life shape the development of the brain, particularly during sensitive periods. Adverse experiences can ‘program’ the development of certain brain regions that are involved in the regulation and integration of hormonal, autonomic and immune responses to challenges later in life. Such challenges may encompass infections, physical stresses or emotional challenges.
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