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New Scientist: Metabolic switch may bring on chronic fatigue syndrome

It’s as if a switch has been flicked. Evidence is mounting that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is caused by the body swapping to less efficient ways of generating energy.

Also known as ME or myalgic encephalomyelitis, CFS affects some 250,000 people in the UK. The main symptom is persistent physical and mental exhaustion that doesn’t improve with sleep or rest. It often begins after a mild infection, but its causes are unknown. Some have argued that CFS is a psychological condition, and that it is best treated through strategies like cognitive behavioural therapy.

But several lines of investigation are now suggesting that the profound and painful lack of energy seen in the condition could in many cases be due to people losing their ability to burn carbohydrate sugars in the normal way to generate cellular energy.

Instead, the cells of people with CFS stop making as much energy from sugar as usual, and start relying more on lower-yielding fuels, such as amino acids and fats. This kind of metabolic switch produces lactate, which can cause pain when it accumulates in muscles.

Together, this would explain both the shortness of energy, and why even mild exercise can be exhausting and painful.
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2121162-metabolic-switch-may-bring-on-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/

Mentions Fluge, Armstrong and Rituximab and ends with
Together, these metabolic approaches are suggesting that CFS has a chemical cause. “It’s definitely a physiological effect that we’re observing, and not psychosomatic, and I’ll put my head on the block on that,” says Armstrong. However, he adds that psychological and brain chemistry factors might be involved in some cases.
so an almost perfect ending, I'd imagine what Chris said and how it has been printed is somewhat different there.

ETA: Also on post on Facebook here https://www.facebook.com/newscientist/posts/10155138898239589
 
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A.B.

Senior Member
Messages
3,780
Is this illness some form of diabetes?

Edit: I'm probably misusing the word, is diabetes a term for a metabolic disease revolving around blood sugar regulation?
 
Messages
15,786
Edit: I'm probably misusing the word, is diabetes a term for a metabolic disease revolving around blood sugar regulation?
Diabetes (mellitus) specifically requires hyperglycemia to be present for diagnosis. Most ME patients don't have diabetes.
 
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A.B.

Senior Member
Messages
3,780
Looking it up, diabetes seems to refer to "any of various disorders, esp diabetes mellitus, characterized by excretion of an abnormally large amount of urine".
 

A.B.

Senior Member
Messages
3,780
Also known as ME or myalgic encephalomyelitis, CFS affects some 250,000 people in the UK. The main symptom is persistent physical and mental exhaustion that doesn’t improve with sleep or rest. It often begins after a mild infection, but its causes are unknown. Some have argued that CFS is a psychological condition, and that it is best treated through strategies like cognitive behavioural therapy.

This link brings up an older article where Wessely embarasses himself with psychobabble in an article titled "Mind over matter?". A shame that it's only partially readable as nonsubscriber because I wouldn't mind having a good laugh.
 

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Interesting - I look forward to seeing if this turns up in the print version on Thursday.

For all that there's the odd bit of "there might yet be a psychological component" (which seems obligatory in the UK), this is a very long way off the model of our disease that the BPS crowd has been pushing so aggressively, and is very much against the model put forward in PACE.

Given that there was an editorial only a few days ago in the New Scientist mentioning unfavourably the lack of open data in PACE, I hope this marks a new approach to ME/CFS by the New Scientist and demonstrates that someone has got through to them about the realities of the situation.
 

Belbyr

Senior Member
Messages
602
Location
Memphis
Is this why magnesium salt baths feel good? ;)

I sure wish researchers could find something to help us out a little in the next year. Sounds like they are at least aiming in the right direction these past couple years...
 
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3,263
"there might yet be a psychological component" I interpreted that more as that psychological issues can influence your illness in a bad way. Which seems totally normal???
As @Sasha says, this line is only ever used by people who believe the illness they're discussing is largely psychological. Its a fudge used by the psychobabblers to reclaim an illness as psychological, even in the face of some evidence of a biological basis. If anyone questions it, they can back peddle by saying "well, every illness has a psychological component'

If that's true, then its meaningless to say it at all.

The clue here about its purpose is that the statement is almost never said about "physical" illnesses (as Sasha says). Do you ever hear people say "there might be a psychological component" to HIV? Cancer? Brain injury? Multiple burns? No.

I actually think its not necessarily true that every illness has a psychological component. Every illness may cause a psychological reaction - but that's not what they're claiming, is it? The statement implies people can make their illness worse by feeling down or anxious, and better by having a positive attitude. I think we might find that's not the case for most illnesses (other than perhaps mental illnesses). Otherwise, you could get better just improving your attitude. And that doesn't really happen for many illnesses.
 
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