Good news for sufferers of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) who have been told for years that their problem is ‘all in their head’ – it’s not. Geneticists have identified seven sub-groups of the disease, which they believe they soon will be able to pinpoint with a blood test.
Researchers at St George’s Hospital in London made the breakthrough when they analysed blood samples from 55 CFS patients, and compared them against healthy blood donors.
The CFS sufferers all had distinct differences in their blood, and these broke down into seven sub-types. Type one had the worst anxiety and depression, poor sleep patterns, and high pain levels; type two was typified by exhaustion and joint and muscle pains following exercise, and type three was the mildest form of the disease.
Those who had type five of the disease had stomach complaints and severe muscle weakness, while type six mainly experienced fatigue. Type seven sufferers had the most severe symptoms, including pain, swollen glands and headaches.
(Source: BBC website).