News — Prolonged COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) are incapacitating disorders sharing comparable symptoms. Both lack FDA-approved diagnostics or treatments and impose substantial financial burdens on the United States through substantial healthcare costs and reduced productivity. Medical professionals and researchers have pondered the shared biological abnormalities contributing to symptoms and their potential similarities in these illnesses.
A review paper composed by leading researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, alongside the Mailman School of Public Health and Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, delves into these inquiries. The article examines a total of 559 scientific papers. By comparing the symptoms of both disorders, the authors highlight their striking resemblance and proceed to demonstrate the discovery of remarkably similar underlying biological abnormalities in both conditions. These abnormalities encompass various systems such as the brain, immune system, heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and energy metabolism.
Anthony L. Komaroff, MD, a senior physician in the Brigham Department of Medicine and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, emphasized the significance of their review by stating, "By conducting a direct comparison of the known abnormalities associated with each illness, our review acts as a valuable 'road map' for identifying areas in need of further investigation." He further expressed hope that the identification of the most compelling evidence-based abnormalities would aid in directing efforts towards the development of enhanced diagnostic tests and effective treatments for these conditions.
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