Nielk
Senior Member
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- 6,970
The newest buzword around ME/CFS seems to be "subsets". We are told that there is a need for subsets of ME/CFS since it is such a heterogeneous disease. We can't have proper studies nor diagnostic criteria because we are too heterogenous.
These subsets though can't be anther illness because then they would not be considered ME/CFS to begin with.
I think that many major studies now like the one from the CDC are trying to find subsets. Stephen Holgate seems to think it might be a dozen diseases. My question is what then? What if they find 12 different subsets. Will we all be divided into different little diseases with different names and diagnostic criterias? We still would not have biomarkers. We would just be sub-classified.
How will they identify these subsets? Will it be by the most intensive symptom? Will it be by what treatment has worked? They can't exactly go by abnormalities in testing because there are no abnormalities that everyone can agree on.
What do you think?
These subsets though can't be anther illness because then they would not be considered ME/CFS to begin with.
I think that many major studies now like the one from the CDC are trying to find subsets. Stephen Holgate seems to think it might be a dozen diseases. My question is what then? What if they find 12 different subsets. Will we all be divided into different little diseases with different names and diagnostic criterias? We still would not have biomarkers. We would just be sub-classified.
How will they identify these subsets? Will it be by the most intensive symptom? Will it be by what treatment has worked? They can't exactly go by abnormalities in testing because there are no abnormalities that everyone can agree on.
What do you think?