Reyes, Michele, Nisenbaum, Rosane, Hoaglin, David C et al. · Archives of internal medicine · 2003 · DOI
This study surveyed over 90,000 residents in Wichita, Kansas to find out how many people have ME/CFS. Researchers found that about 235 out of every 100,000 people have the condition, with women affected about 4 times more often than men. They also followed some people for a year to see how many newly developed ME/CFS, finding 180 new cases per 100,000 people.
This is one of the few rigorous, population-based prevalence studies of ME/CFS in the United States, providing essential epidemiologic data to help public health officials and clinicians understand the disease burden and allocate resources appropriately. The gender disparity findings and incidence data contribute important evidence to the medical literature on ME/CFS frequency and natural history.
This cross-sectional study cannot establish causation or identify risk factors for developing ME/CFS; it only measures how common the condition is at one point in time. The study does not examine what causes ME/CFS or why women are more frequently affected. The follow-up incidence data, while valuable, cannot determine whether observed cases represent new disease development or previously unrecognized disease.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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