Nationwide epidemiological characteristics of chronic fatigue syndrome in South Korea

Abstract Background Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term disabling illness accompanied by medically unexplained fatigue. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of CFS in South Korea. Methods Using the nationwide medical records provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), we analyzed the entire dataset for CFS patients diagnosed by physicians in South Korea from January 2010 to December 2020. Results The annual mean incidence of CFS was estimated to be 44.71 ± 6.10 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 40.57, 48.76], and the prevalence rate was 57.70 ± 12.20 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 49.40, 65.79]. These two rates increased by 1.53- and 1.94-fold from 2010 to 2020, respectively, and showed an increasing trend with aging and an approximately 1.5-fold female predominance. Conclusions This study is the first to report the nationwide epidemiological features of CFS, which reflects the clinical reality of CFS diagnosis and care in South Korea. This study will be a valuable reference for studies of CFS in the future.

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Nationwide Epidemiological Characteristics of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in South Korea

10.21203/rs.3.rs-954071/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Eun Jin Lim ◽

Jin-Seok Lee ◽

Eun-Jung Lee ◽

Seok-Ju Jeong ◽

Ho-Young Park ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽

South Korea ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Female Predominance ◽

Increasing Trend ◽

Medically Unexplained ◽

Epidemiological Characteristics ◽

Entire Dataset

Abstract Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term disabling illness accompanied by medically unexplained fatigue. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of CFS in South Korea.Methods: Using the nationwide medical records provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), we analyzed the entire dataset for CFS patients diagnosed by physicians in Korea from January 2010 to December 2020. Results: The annual mean incidence of CFS was estimated to be 44.71 ± 6.10 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 40.57, 48.76], and the prevalence rate was 57.70 ± 12.20 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 49.40, 65.79]. These two rates increased by 1.53- and 1.94-fold from 2010 to 2020, respectively, and showed an increasing trend with aging and an approximately 1.5-fold female predominance. Conclusions: This study is the first to report the nationwide epidemiological features of CFS, which reflects the clinical reality of CFS diagnosis and care in South Korea. This study will be a valuable reference for studies of CFS in the future.

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Internet-Based Therapy for Adolescents With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Long-term Follow-up

PEDIATRICS ◽

10.1542/peds.2012-2007d ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 131 (6) ◽

pp. X26-X26

Keyword(s):

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Long Term Follow Up

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: A Case Report Highlighting Diagnosing and Treatment Challenges and the Possibility of Jarisch–Herxheimer Reactions if High Infectious Loads Are Present

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9111537 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1537

Author(s):

Rachel K. Straub ◽

Christopher M. Powers

Keyword(s):

Case Report ◽

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Tube Feeding ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Medical Interventions ◽

System Disease ◽

Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Harsh Reality

Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a complex multi-system disease with no cure and no FDA-approved treatment. Approximately 25% of patients are house or bedbound, and some are so severe in function that they require tube-feeding and are unable to tolerate light, sound, and human touch. The overall goal of this case report was to (1) describe how past events (e.g., chronic sinusitis, amenorrhea, tick bites, congenital neutropenia, psychogenic polydipsia, food intolerances, and hypothyroidism) may have contributed to the development of severe ME/CFS in a single patient, and (2) the extensive medical interventions that the patient has pursued in an attempt to recover, which enabled her to return to graduate school after becoming bedridden with ME/CFS 4.5 years prior. This paper aims to increase awareness of the harsh reality of ME/CFS and the potential complications following initiation of any level of intervention, some of which may be necessary for long-term healing. Treatments may induce severe paradoxical reactions (Jarisch–Herxheimer reaction) if high infectious loads are present. It is our hope that sharing this case will improve research and treatment options for ME/CFS.

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Long Term Follow up of Young People With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Attending a Pediatric Outpatient Service

Frontiers in Pediatrics ◽

10.3389/fped.2019.00021 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Katherine S. Rowe

Keyword(s):

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Young People ◽

Outpatient Service ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Long Term Follow Up

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Heterodox and Orthodox Discourses in the Case of Lyme Disease: A Synthesis of Arguments

Qualitative Health Research ◽

10.1177/1049732319846170 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (11) ◽

pp. 1661-1673

Author(s):

Kate Hinds ◽

Katy Sutcliffe

Keyword(s):

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Lyme Disease ◽

Critical Discourse Analysis ◽

Chronic Fatigue ◽

Critical Discourse ◽

Fatigue Syndrome ◽

Chronic Lyme Disease ◽

Medically Unexplained ◽

Patient Groups ◽

Insight Into

In this article, we examine the arguments made by authors of published academic articles concerning the debates surrounding chronic Lyme disease (CLD). CLD is an example of a contested condition and shares problems of legitimacy with other medically unexplained conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome. We use a critical discourse analysis (CDA) approach to understand the arguments of the authors to establish the legitimacy, or not, of a CLD diagnosis. This enabled us to make sense of the nature of the stalemate between patient groups and advocates of the medical establishment, as performed by authors of academic articles. In this article, we bring together the arguments to explain the polemical debate and to support accounts that avoid the impasse to give us greater insight into the experience of chronic illness.

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