#60 Medical publications update / Comparisons to M.S.
CFS-NEWS Electronic Newsletter
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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Electronic Newsletter
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No. 60 July 31, 1996 Washington DC
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MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS UPDATE / COMPARISONS TO M.S.
CONTENTS
>>>1. Medical publications update
>>>2. Comparisons of fatigue in multiple sclerosis and CFS
>>>3. Muscle studies by New Jersey researchers
>>>4. Characteristics of fatigued patients
>>>5. Newcastle research (urine marker, etc.) information on-line
>>>6. LTD insurers limit coverage for CFS
>>>7. Olympic athlete with CFS: Michelle Akers
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>>>1. Medical publications update
[The following was contributed by Mr. Steve Clancy of the Science
Library of the University of California at Irvine.]
This CFS UPDATE is a review of the current, published medical
literature on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and is presented as a public
service. The presence or absence of any information in this review
should not be taken as advocating one method of treatment over
another, and should not be construed as providing medical advice or
diagnosis.
The references may be taken from various sources and should be used
for educational purposes only. Databases accessed may include the
MEDLINE online database produced by the National Library of Medicine,
as well as other online and print sources. This listing is NOT a
complete review, but represents a selection.
Many of these articles and journals will be available from libraries
in hospitals and universities. Please do not contact Steve Clancy,
or the UCI Science Library for copies of articles from this list.
Steve Clancy, M.L.S.
Science Library
University of California, Irvine, U.S.A.
(NOTE: Articles with title in brackets [ ] are not in English.)
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1. McCully KK; Natelson BH; Iotti S; Sisto S; Leigh JS Jr. Reduced
oxidative muscle metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome. Muscle and
Nerve, 1996 May, 19(5):621-5. UI: 96189166
2. Ho-Yen DO. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue
syndrome. Patients' beliefs about their illness were probably not a
major factor [letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr 27, 312(7038):1097-8. UI:
96206864
3. Eaton KK. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue
syndrome. Use an interdisciplinary approach [letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr
27, 312(7038):1097; discussion 1098. UI: 96206861
4. Lawrie SM. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue
syndrome. Essential elements of the treatment must be identified
[letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr 27, 312(7038):1097; discussion 1098. UI:
96206862
5. Pearce J. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue
syndrome. Cognitive behavior therapy should be compared with placebo
treatments [letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr 27, 312(7038):1097; discussion
1098. UI: 96206863
6. Gibbons R; Macintyre A; Richards C. Cognitive behaviour therapy
for the chronic fatigue syndrome. Patients were not representative of
all patients with the syndrome [letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr 27,
312(7038):1096-7, discussion 1098. UI: 96206860
7. Shepherd C. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue
syndrome. Good general care may offer as much benefit as cognitive
behaviour therapy [letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr 27, 312(7038):1096;
discussion 1098. Pub type: Letter. UI: 96206859
8. Chilton SA. Cognitive behaviour therapy for the chronic fatigue
syndrome. Evening primrose oil and magnesium have been shown to be
effective [letter]. Bmj, 1996 Apr 27, 312(7038):1096; discussion
1098. UI: 96206858
9. Djaldetti R; Ziv I; Achiron A; Melamed E. Fatigue in multiple
sclerosis compared with chronic fatigue syndrome: A quantitative
assessment. Neurology, 1996 Mar, 46(3):632-5. UI: 96173667
10. Leese G; Chattington P; Fraser W; Vora J; Edwards R; Williams G.
Short-term night-shift working mimics the pituitary-adrenocortical
dysfunction in chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and Metabolism, 1996 May, 81(5):1867-70. UI: 96210870
12. St George IM. Did Cook's sailors have Tapanui 'flu? --chronic
fatigue syndrome on the Resolution. New Zealand Medical Journal, 1996
Jan 26, 109(1014):15-7. UI: 96198730
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>>>2. Comparisons of fatigue in multiple sclerosis and CFS
A study of fatigue which focused on multiple sclerosis shows many
similarities and some differences in fatigue-related measures for MS
and CFS. This Netherlands study by Vercoulen, et al. involved fifty
MS patients, 51 CFS patients and 53 healthy subjects.
The CFS subjects were similar to the MS subjects in regard to:
general fatigue severity level; profiles of depression, physical
activity, sense of control over symptoms, and causal attributions.
Both ill groups showed a low correlation between depression and
fatigue. Both were similar in most measures of psychological
well-being and were different from psychiatric patients in that
regard.
However, among CFS patients fatigue correlated to occupational
disruption much more than among MS patients, and they had high
somatization scores in comparison to the MS group.
See:
Vercoulen, Hommes, Swanink, Jongen, Fennis, Galama, van der Meer,
Bleijennberg. The Measurement of Fatigue in Patients With Multiple
Sclerosis: A Multidimensional Comparison With Patients With
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Healthy Subjects. Archives of
Neurology, July 1996, 53(7):642-649
A separate Israeli study also compared fatigue in MS, CFS and healthy
subjects by measuring muscle responses, and concluded that CFS
patients were not significantly different than the healthy controls,
whereas the MS patients were different. This study involved thirty
MS patients, four CFS patients and thirteen healthy subjects. See:
Djaldetti R; Ziv I; Achiron A; Melamed E. Fatigue in multiple
sclerosis compared with chronic fatigue syndrome: A quantitative
assessment. Neurology, 1996 Mar, 46(3):632-5
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>>>3. Muscle studies by New Jersey researchers
Two studies show that CFS patients have measurable muscle problems,
but the effect of strenuous exercise on these subjects was not as bad
as some would expect. Both studies were conducted by the New Jersey
CFS Cooperative Research Center.
Oxidative metabolism was found to be reduced in CFS patients, as
measured by postexercise phosphocreatine resynthesis in calf muscles
as seen in 22 CFS patients when compared to 15 sedentary healthy
controls. In a second study, aerobic power in women was found to be
at low normal fitness level with no indication of cardiopulmonary
abnormality, for 21 CFS patients compared to 22 sedentary healthy
controls. Furthermore, patients showed no relapse despite a maximal
treadmill exercise test. See:
McCully KK; Natelson BH; Iotti S; Sisto S; Leigh JS Jr. Reduced
oxidative muscle metabolism in chronic fatigue syndrome. Muscle
and Nerve, 1996 May, 19(5):621-5
Sisto SA, LaManca J, Cordero D, et al. Metabolic and
Cardiovascular Effects of a Progressive Exercise Test in Patients
with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Am J Med June 1996. 100(6):634-640
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>>>4. Characteristics of fatigued patients
A large study of patients with prolonged fatigue, but not necessarily
CFS, finds an association with current depressive disorders. The
vast majority of subjects in this study of prolonged fatigue had no
diagnosis of CFS. Specifically, of the 1,593 patients studied 25
percent had prolonged fatigue but only 0.3 percent had CFS. The
study was done by the University of New South Wales research team
based in Sydney that has been long known for CFS and related
research.
The researchers conclude in part that
Patients with chronic fatigue syndromes do not fit easily into the
international psychiatric classification systems. We support the
recognition of an independent "chronic fatigue/neurasthenia"
concept, with its own clinical, epidemiological and longitudinal
profile requiring investigation and treatment as a discrete
disorder.
The paper was published as:
Fatigue in selected primary care settings: sociodemographic and
psychiatric correlates. Hickie I, Hooker A, Hadzi-Pavlovic D,
Bennet B, Wilson A, Lloyd A. Med J Australia 1996; 164:585-588
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>>>5. Newcastle research (urine marker, etc.) information on-line
The Australian research team at the University of Newcastle have
opened up an Internet web site that gives much information about
their current research and upcoming publications. The team is
exploring a possible urine marker for CFS, and evidence suggesting a
role for organochlorines in the pathology of CFS. A summary of the
information is also available via e-mail. The web site can be
reached at:
http://newcastle.edu.au/department/bi/birjt/cpruis
To get an e-mail summary, send a message that says GET CFS NEWCAST3
by e-mail to address LIST...@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU.
[Thanks to "Reeves" on the Internet and Ted Shaw for assistance with
this report.]
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>>>6. LTD insurers limit coverage for CFS
The Wall Street Journal reports that several large insurers of
long-term disability are imposing a two year limit on disability
claims for CFS and other conditions for which no medical cause has
been found. The article appeared in the Journal on Thursday, July
25, 1996 on pages A3-A4 and was titled "Insurers Curb Some Benefits
For Disability". It states that UNUM Life Insurance of America has
received approval in 39 states for the two year limitation. Other
insurers have obtained similar approvals, and more are expected to
follow.
The full text of the Journal article can be obtained on-line by
sending an e-mail message which says GET CFS LTD-WSJ to the address
LIST...@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU. The CFIDS Association of America is
calling on all who are concerned to participate in a program to help
deal with this issue. To obtain their notice about this, send GET
CFIDS96H TXT as an e-mail message to the same address mentioned
above.
[Thanks to Carol Wright, and the CFIDS Association of America, for
assistance with this report.]
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>>>7. Olympic athlete with CFS: Michelle Akers
Top-rated world soccer player Ms. Michelle Akers suffers from CFS,
and is able to compete in her sport only by making serious
accommodations to her illness. Ms. Akers has an Internet web site
with information about her career, her personal struggles and CFS.
Go to:
Akers is part of the USA's Olympic Soccer Team, which is scheduled to
play in the Gold Medal finals on Wednesday, August 1 (today, as most
of you read this).
Side note: Olympic swimmer Tom Dolan has reported his own occasional
chronic fatigue and other health problems, but in a recent television
interview he clarified that he does not have CFS.
[Thanks to Patrick Dennis, and the CFIDS Association of America, for
assistance with this report.]
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