Post-exertional malaise among people with long COVID compared to myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Background: Long COVID describes a condition with symptoms that linger for months to years following acute COVID-19. Many of these Long COVID symptoms are like those experienced by patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Objective: We wanted to determine if people with Long COVID experienced post-exertional malaise (PEM), the hallmark symptom of ME/CFS, and if so, how it compared to PEM experienced by patients with ME/CFS.

Orthostatic Challenge Causes Distinctive Symptomatic, Hemodynamic and Cognitive Responses in Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Background: Some patients with acute COVID-19 are left with persistent, debilitating fatigue, cognitive impairment ("brain fog"), orthostatic intolerance (OI) and other symptoms ("Long COVID"). Many of the symptoms are like those of other post-infectious fatigue syndromes and may meet criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Common diagnostic laboratory tests are often unrevealing.

Hemodynamics during the 10-minute NASA Lean Test: evidence of circulatory decompensation in a subset of ME/CFS patients.

Background: Lightheadedness, fatigue, weakness, heart palpitations, cognitive dysfunction, muscle pain, and exercise intolerance are some of the symptoms of orthostatic intolerance (OI). There is substantial comorbidity of OI in ME/CFS (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome). The 10-minute NASA Lean Test (NLT) is a simple, point-of-care method that can aid ME/CFS diagnosis and guide management and treatment of OI.

Clinically accessible tools for documenting the impact of orthostatic intolerance on symptoms and function in ME/CFS.

Background: Clinical observations have indicated that hours of upright activity (HUA) reported by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) patients correlated with orthostatic symptoms and impaired physical function. This study examined the relationship between HUA and orthostatic intolerance (OI).

Methods: Twenty-five female ME/CFS subjects and 25 age and race matched female healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled.

Integration of DNA methylation & health scores identifies subtypes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Aim: To identify subtypes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) based on DNA methylation profiles and health scores.

Methods: DNA methylome profiles in immune cells were integrated with symptomatology from 70 women with ME/CFS using similarity network fusion to identify subtypes.

Results: We discovered four ME/CFS subtypes associated with DNA methylation modifications in 1939 CpG sites, three RAND-36 categories and five DePaul Symptom Questionnaire measures.

Epigenetic modifications and glucocorticoid sensitivity in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Background: Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating idiopathic disease characterized by unexplained fatigue that fails to resolve with sufficient rest. Diagnosis is based on a list of symptoms and exclusion of other fatigue-related health conditions. Despite a heterogeneous patient population, immune and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function differences, such as enhanced negative feedback to glucocorticoids, are recurring findings in ME/CFS studies.