CFS – Chronic Fatigue Syndrome – Study found cardiovascular dysfunction

Chronic Fatigue

 

Little attention has been paid to possible cardiovascular involvement in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), although many of their symptoms and signs suggest cardiovascular dysfunction. Possible cardiovascular symptoms and cardiac function were investigated in CFS patients. 

Cardiovascular symptoms were intensively investigated and cardiac function was evaluated echocardiographically. Fifty-three patients (23 men and 30 women, mean age: 31+/-7 years) with CFS under 50 years were studied. 

Slender build (body mass index <20 kg/m(2)) was common (47%). Possible cardiovascular symptoms including shortness of breath (32%), dyspnea on effort (28%), rapid heartbeat (38%), chest pain (43%), fainting (43%), orthostatic dizziness (45%) and coldness of feet (42%), were all frequent complaints. Hypotension (28%) was occasionally noted. Electrocardiograms frequently revealed right axis deviation (21%) and severe sinus arrhythmia (34%) suggesting accentuated parasympathetic nervous activity. Small heart shadow (cardiothoracic ratio <or=42%) was noted on the chest roentgenogram in 32 patients (60%). Echocardiographic examination demonstrated low cardiac indexes (<2 L/min/m(2)) with low stroke volume indexes (<30 mL/m(2)) due to a small left ventricular chamber in 19 (36%, p<0.05 vs. 8% in 36 controls). None had reduced left ventricular ejection fraction. 

Cardiovascular symptoms are common in CFS patients. Cardiac dysfunction with low cardiac output due to small left ventricular chamber may contribute to the development of chronic fatigue as a constitutional factor in a considerable number of CFS patients. 

Reference: Miwa K, Fujita M., Cardiovascular dysfunction with low cardiac output due to a small heart in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, Intern Med. 2009;48(21):1849-54.

German Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine mentioned MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity at Thesaurus “Safety and Health at Work”

The Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine has published an alphabetical and systematic Thesaurus “Safety and Health at Work”. The Thesaurus has been created in a long-standing cooperation between documentalists, librarians and scientists from the Federal Institute of Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine.    

The disease MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (ICD-10 T78.4) is mentioned at the Thesaurus “Safety and Health at Work”, alphabetical Part, Status May 2009, as: 

MCS - Multiple Chemical Sensitivity at Thesaurus

Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (B02.19.00)     

At the systematic Part MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is found at the category B02:  

“Work related Disease and Occupational Disease/Disease”  

integrated in Part:  

  • B02.19 Other Disease 
  • B02.19.00 Multiple Chemical Sensitivity  

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) is integrated analogue.  

 

MCS is not classified as a mental disease

To clear up occurring doubts, it is to point out that MCS – Multiple Chemical Sensitivity is not integrated into chapter B02.15: Mental diseases, Depression, Neurosis, Post traumatic Stress Disorder or psychosomatic diseases. 

Thesaurus “Safety and Health at Work”

The Thesaurus offers a quick overview on the broad group of themes “Safety and Health at Work”. It contains about 3 500 main keywords and is the joining of the keywords from the two previous Thesauri “Safety at Work” and “Occupational Medicine”. The Thesaurus is based on the practical work of the Library group, documentation at the content development and their research of technical literature. It is a tool for documentation.   

The Thesaurus is intended for all who search for literature about “Safety and Health at Work”. It is supportive for prearrangement of research inquiries at the data pool LITDOK and can be helpful for searching in topic related databases.  

Author: Silvia K. Müller, CSN – Chemical Sensitivity Network, July 23, 2009  

Reference:  Thesaurus „Sicherheit und Gesundheit bei der Arbeit“ Alphabetischer Teil, Systemischer Teil, Dortmund/Berlin/Dresden 2009.