People diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome may be at risk for some additional complications. A new study warns doctors to look for a few other conditions when diagnosing a patient with chronic fatigue. Researchers from the University of Washington studied 127 pairs of twins in which one had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue at least six months prior and the other did not have the problem. They compared the presence of additional health problems. The unaffected twin did not have these same problems.
Researchers say the biggest additional risk factor was for fibromyalgia.
Seventy percent of patients with chronic fatigue also had fibromyalgia while only 10 percent of the twins had the condition. Fifty percent of chronic fatigue patients had irritable bowel while only five percent of their twins did. These findings show the need for physicians to be aware and detect the additional problems early. With early identification and early treatment, the hope is that any additional costs to this already expensive treatment can be avoided. Researchers suggest further studies should look at the exact relationship between environmental and genetic factors of CFS and related conditions.