ME/CFS CDC prevalence number changed?

[Rrrr]

ME/CFS CDC prevalence number changed?

does anyone know, is there a new cdc prevalence number out there now? i heard cdc just changed it from 1-4 million to, now, 4-7 million. could that be right?

 

[alex3619]

Hi Rrrr, I don't know about that, but my calculations put the total world ME/CFS population at nearly thirty million - if these stats are correct (which is doubtful), then the world ME/CFS population is up to 163 million. That is equivalent to nearly eight times the population of Australia, or over half the population of the USA. Bye, Alex

 

[caledonia]

That's a new one on me. There would have to be some new research backing this up, but I haven't found it.

 

[taniaaust1]

Are you able to provide the source for this info? Online?? that it has just been changed

 

[Cort]

I think that would only happen if a new study came out.....I don't know that one has.

 

[Dolphin]

I think that would only happen if a new study came out.....I don't know that one has.

The Georgia study (2007) using the so-called empiric criteria would allow them to use 4+ million.

 

[Desdinova]

Does anyone here even trust the CDC's Statistics and Information? As long as they continue to use a GIGO definition criteria I sure don't. The bulk of their information, opinions, beliefs, stats etc on ME/CFS are a sadistic insulting joke.

 

[Dolphin]

Does anyone here even trust the CDC's Statistics and Information? As long as the continue to use a GIGO definition criteria I sure don't. The bulk of their information, opinions, beliefs, stats etc on ME/CFS are a sadistic insulting joke.

Yes, exactly, as long as they use a "GIGO definition criteria" I sure don't either.

P.S. there's a petition against the criteria, for what it's worth - see last link in my (long!) sig.

 

[Rrrr]

sorry if i started a false rumor. i thought i heard someone mention the new figure at cfsac, during a public testimony. but i guess not.

 

[Dolphin]

sorry if i started a false rumor. i thought i heard someone mention the new figure at cfsac, during a public testimony. but i guess not.

The logical extension of the 2.54% prevalence figure the CDC reported from the Georgia study is a figure of at least 4 million. Many people would round it up to 7 million - that's what it would be if the prevalence was the same in older adults and children.

 

[justinreilly]

Peter White Nonsense Paper

the CDC website
http://www.cdc.gov/cfs/publications/surveillance_studies/index.html

links to this paper by Peter White:
http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/5/1/6

If this prevalence was both accurate and representative of the USA as a whole, this would suggest that some 7.5 million Americans were sufferers, compared to the previous estimates of 0.7 to 1.2

White says the Reeves Criteria are too strict! And they are compared to the even worse Oxford criteria:

Our current criteria for diagnosing CFS are arbitrary, and we need to widen the net to capture all those people who become so chronically tired and unwell that they can't live their lives to their full potential.

My question is now where did they get the 4M prevalence figure from?

 

[Dolphin]

My question is now where did they get the 4M prevalence figure from?

See: "Caution required when extrapolating prevalence rates to the full population" http://www.pophealthmetrics.com/content/5/1/6/comments#285546

 

[Snow Leopard]

This figure is great (in a bad way since it suggests lots of people are in a relapse-remitting mode) and everything, but more to the point, if it affects so many Americans, where is the research funding?

 

[Desdinova]

This figure is great (in a bad way since it suggests lots of people are in a relapse-remitting mode) and everything, but more to the point, if it affects so many Americans, where is the research funding?

You have to remember in their minds you don't need funding for ME/CFS on a large scale. Not when it's nothing more then an amalgam of mental heath disorders and the physical deconditioning that has occurred as a result of them. They already know how to treat the disorder but it's up to the patients to cooperate, believe in and follow the GET and CBT programs. Any ME/CFS suffer not doing so is simply a Difficult patient and any ME/CFS suffer who does but gets worse while doing so is just the occasional odd anomaly. One that is quickly forgotten about and fades out of memory.

 

[August59]

With massive budget cuts looming on the horizon this could be just a tactic by the "pshyco" lobby to boost the numbers to help shore up funding. If it works we will probably see small validation studies for the PACE Trials. Haah!! A validation trial on something that is completely broke and only the CDC could validate such a farse!!

 

[Dolphin]

With massive budget cuts looming on the horizon this could be just a tactic by the "pshyco" lobby to boost the numbers to help shore up funding. If it works we will probably see small validation studies for the PACE Trials. Haah!! A validation trial on something that is completely broke and only the CDC could validate such a farse!!

Yes, there was talk of such studies in the 5 year external plan. The small external committee (which included Peter White) reviewing the CDC's CFS program had previously recommend such studies.