Chronic Fatigue Syndrome -
Causes and Recovery

• Chronic fatigue syndrome causes and recovery remain unknown despite an intensive, nearly 20-year search. Many different infectious agents and physiologic and psychological causes have been considered, and the search continues.
• Much of the ongoing research into a cause has centered on the roles of the immune, endocrine and nervous systems may play in chronic fatigue syndrome. More recently, interactions among these factors are under evaluation.
• Genetic and environmental factors may play a role in developing and/or prolonging the illness, although more research is needed to confirm this. CDC is applying cutting-edge genomic and proteomic tools to understand the origins and pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome.
• Causes and recovery for chronic fatigue syndrome does not include depression, although the two illnesses often coexist, and many patients with chronic fatigue syndrome have no psychiatric disorder.

causes and Recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome

• Chronic fatigue syndrome affects each individual differently. Some people with CFS remain homebound and others improve to the point that they can resume work and other activities, even though they continue to experience symptoms.
• Recovery rates for chronic fatigue syndrome are unclear. Improvement rates varied from 8% to 63% in a 2005 review of published studies, with a median of 40% of patients improving during follow-up. However, full recovery from chronic fatigue syndrome may be rare, with an average of only 5% to 10% sustaining total remission.