Sleep and circadian rhythm alterations in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post-COVID fatigue syndrome and its association with cardiovascular risk factors: A prospective cohort study.

This study aimed to investigate circadian rhythm manifestations in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients (including a subpopulation of long-COVID patients) and matched healthy controls while also exploring their association with cardiovascular health variables. Thirty-one ME/CFS patients (75% females), 23 individuals diagnosed with post-COVID ME/CFS (56% females) and 31 matched healthy controls (68% females) were enrolled in this study. Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed using validated self-reported outcome measures.

Association of circulating biomarkers with illness severity measures differentiates myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post-COVID-19 condition: a prospective pilot cohort study.

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that autonomic dysfunction and persistent systemic inflammation are common clinical features in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID. However, there is limited knowledge regarding their potential association with circulating biomarkers and illness severity in these conditions.

Methods: This single-site, prospective, cross-sectional, pilot cohort study aimed to distinguish between the two patient populations by using self-reported outcome measures and circulating biomarkers of endothelial function and systemic inflammation status.

Skin Temperature Circadian Rhythms and Dysautonomia in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: The Role of Endothelin-1 in the Vascular Tone Dysregulation.

There is accumulating evidence of autonomic dysfunction in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS); however, little is known about its association with circadian rhythms and endothelial dysfunction. This study aimed to explore the autonomic responses through an orthostatic test and analysis of the peripheral skin temperature variations and vascular endothelium state in ME/CFS patients. Sixty-seven adult female ME/CFS patients and 48 healthy controls were enrolled.

Effect of Melatonin Plus Zinc Supplementation on Fatigue Perception in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex, multisystem, and profoundly debilitating condition, probably of multifactorial etiology. No effective approved drugs are currently available for its treatment. Several studies have proposed symptomatic treatment with melatonin and zinc supplementation in chronic illnesses; however, little is known about the synergistic effect of this treatment on fatigue-related symptoms in ME/CFS.

Reduced heart rate variability predicts fatigue severity in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective, non-invasive tool to assessing autonomic dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). People with CFS/ME tend to have lower HRV; however, in the literature there are only a few previous studies (most of them inconclusive) on their association with illness-related complaints. To address this issue, we assessed the value of different diurnal HRV parameters as potential biomarker in CFS/ME and also investigated the relationship between these HRV indices and self-reported symptoms in individuals with CFS/ME.

Unemployment and work disability in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: a community-based cross-sectional study from Spain.

Background: Few reports have examined the association between unemployment and work disability in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME). This study explored the key determinants of work disability in a CFS/ME cohort.

Methods: A community-based prospective study included 1086 CFS/ME patients aged 18-65 years.

Low omega-3 index and polyunsaturated fatty acid status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Background: Several studies have suggested that low levels of omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are associated with cardiovascular risk, major depression, sleep problems, inflammation and other health-related issues. So far, however, erythrocyte PUFA status in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) has not been established. This study aimed to determine whether n-3 PUFA content and omega-3 index are associated with measures in CFS/ME patients.

Circadian rhythm abnormalities and autonomic dysfunction in patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) patients frequently show autonomic symptoms which may be associated with a hypothalamic dysfunction. This study aimed to explore circadian rhythm patterns in rest and activity and distal skin temperature (DST) and their association with self-reported outcome measures, in CFS/ME patients and healthy controls at two different times of year. Ten women who met both the 1994 CDC/Fukuda definition and 2003 Canadian criteria for CFS/ME were included in the study, along with ten healthy controls matched for age, sex and body mass index.

Circulating extracellular vesicles as potential biomarkers in chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis: an exploratory pilot study.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) is an acquired, complex and multisystem condition of unknown etiology, no established diagnostic lab tests and no universally FDA-approved drugs for treatment. CFS/ME is characterised by unexplicable disabling fatigue and is often also associated with numerous core symptoms. A growing body of evidence suggests that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role in cell-to-cell communication, and are involved in both physiological and pathological processes.