TY  - JOUR
T1  - The influence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) family history on patients with ME/CFS
AU  - Jason, Leonard A.
AU  - Ngonmedje, Sarah
Y1  - 2024///
JO  - Exploration of Medicine
VL  - 5
IS  - 2
SP  - 185
EP  - 192
DO  - 10.37349/emed.2024.00215
UR  - https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/em/Article/1001215
AB  - Aim: It is unclear if individuals with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) with family histories of ME/CFS differ from those with ME/CFS without this family history. To explore this issue, quantitative data from patients with ME/CFS and controls were collected, and we examined those with and without family histories of ME/CFS. Methods: The samples included 400 patients with ME/CFS, and a non-ME/CFS chronic illness control group of 241 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 173 with post-polio syndrome (PPS). Results: Confirming findings from prior studies, those with ME/CFS were more likely to have family members with ME/CFS than controls. We found family histories of ME/CFS were significantly higher (18%) among the ME/CFS group than the non-ME/CFS controls (3.9%). In addition, patients with ME/CFS who had family histories of ME/CFS were more likely to have gastrointestinal symptoms than those with ME/CFS without those family histories. Conclusions: Given the recent reports of gastrointestinal difficulties among those with ME/CFS, our findings might represent one predisposing factor for the emergence of ME/CFS.
ER  -