Typing myalgic encephalomyelitis by infection at onset: A DecodeME study

Background: People with myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) experience core symptoms of post-exertional malaise, unrefreshing sleep, and cognitive impairment. Despite numbering 0.2-0.4% the population, no laboratory test is available for their diagnosis, effective therapy exists treatment, scientific breakthrough regarding pathogenesis has been made. It remains unknown, despite decades small-scale studies, whether individuals different types ME/CFS separated by onset-type, sex or age. Methods: DecodeME a large population-based study that recruited 17,074 participants in first 3 months following full launch. Detailed questionnaire responses from UK-based who all reported being diagnosed health professional provided an unparalleled opportunity to investigate, using logistic regression, severity onset type significantly associated sex, age, illness duration, comorbid conditions symptoms. Results: The well-established sex-bias among patients evident initial DecodeME cohort: 83.5% were females. What was not known previously females tend have more comorbidities than males. Moreover, female, older over 10 years are greater severity. Five examined self-reported data: those (i) after glandular fever (infectious mononucleosis); (ii) COVID-19 infection; (iii) other infections; (iv) without infection at onset; and, (v) where occurrence preceding known. Among findings, unknown status active fibromyalgia. Conclusions: differ symptoms, and/or when stratified sex-at-birth around time onset.