Bhandari, Krishnagopal, Kapoor, Dharmesh · Journal of clinical and experimental hepatology · 2022 · DOI
This review examines fatigue in patients with liver disease, explaining that fatigue is common and significantly affects quality of life. The authors describe how the liver plays a central role in energy production and how fatigue in liver disease likely has multiple causes involving the gut, muscles, and brain. The article discusses various ways to measure fatigue and different treatment approaches, including lifestyle changes, medications, diet, and exercise.
Understanding fatigue mechanisms in liver disease may provide insights relevant to ME/CFS, since both conditions involve potential mitochondrial dysfunction, metabolic abnormalities, and possible central and peripheral nervous system involvement. This multifactorial framework—encompassing energy metabolism, neurotransmission, and gut-organ cross-talk—parallels emerging ME/CFS pathophysiological models and could inform research strategies.
This review does not prove that mechanisms causing fatigue in cirrhosis are identical to those in ME/CFS; these are distinct diseases with different primary pathologies. The article does not present original research data, randomized trials, or definitive evidence that any specific intervention reliably reduces fatigue in liver disease. Correlation between liver dysfunction and fatigue does not establish causation for all fatigue cases in these patients.
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