Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Linked to Genetic Changes, Study Finds University of East Anglia scientists find strong evidence that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a physical illness tied to epigenetic DNA changes, offering hope for a shared treatment. Scientists at the University of East Anglia have uncovered some of the strongest evidence yet that chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), is a physiological rather than psychological illness, potentially caused by changes in a person's DNA. The study, reported earlier this month in the Journal of Translational Medicine, suggests these genetic changes might also explain chronic fatigue symptoms seen in long Covid, multiple sclerosis (MS), rheumatoid arthritis, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Genetic Switch Tied to Chronic FatigueThe research team studied the genetic make-up of people with all five illnesses and found they shared a common trait: a genetic switch seemingly causing severe fatigue. According to research lead Professor Dmitry Pshezhetskiy, who specialises in treating ME/CFS, the thing that links all these conditions is that patients frequently report remarkably similar symptoms such as overwhelming fatigue, brain fog, poor concentration, disturbed sleep, and a dramatic reduction in everyday functioning.He and his team found similar epigenetic changes in patients with these conditions. Epigenetics is where environmental factors such as stress and diet can switch genes on or off, so parts of our bodies' systems behave differently. Although different genes were implicated in each condition, the result was the same in that the epigenetic switch that was tripped affected energy production, which could lead to chronic exhaustion.Those epigenetic changes may also disrupt the ways in which our bodies regulate metabolism, react to infection, and respond to stress. Professor Pshezhetskiy added that one of the most significant aspects of this discovery is that it provides objective, blood-based biological proof of disease.This finding raises hopes that a single therapy might be formulated to treat chronic fatigue in all five conditions, affecting a total of around 5.7 million Britons. Long Covid alone affects between 1.8 million and two million people.Impact on Patients and DiagnosisFor patients with CFS such as Emma Slack, a mother-of-one from Newcastle, evidence of a distinct genetic cause promises to help dispel the scepticism and dismissiveness that persistently confronts them. For years, Emma, 35, endured prejudice and disbelief before finally having her debilitating tiredness, brain fog, and sleep problems diagnosed as CFS.Doctors initially blamed anxiety and sent her for counselling. She says others have implied she is lazy and ought to start running. Previously, doctors told ME/CFS patients to exercise, regardless of how they felt after doing it, but in 2021, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence did a U-turn on this advice.Emma's symptoms emerged in 2008, when she was 17. She became unwell with a viral illness that was suspected to be glandular fever, feeling fluey with muscle aches and so nauseous that she could not eat, and she had fainting attacks. Before contracting her viral illness, Emma had been very active, a keen dancer and runner.But she never recovered her energy levels and has since suffered with ongoing symptoms of fatigue, brain fog, and sleep problems, which worsen if she does too much. Over the years, her symptoms fluctuated. Although Emma was able to study, eventually getting a PhD in epidemiology, her illness meant she frequently had to go part-time and work from home. She recalls that for years, she did not know what was wrong with her.Broader Evidence and Historical ContextOther studies in recent years have also highlighted physical causes that could explain symptoms of ME/CFS. For example, an Australian study last year found ME/CFS was linked to simultaneous disruptions in the way sufferers' bodies generate energy and regulate their immune systems, reported the journal Cell.Other studies have suggested chronic fatigue can be caused by the immune system being over-reactive, treating normal stress as an infection, and causing exhausting, flu-like symptoms. It is more than 30 years since mainstream medicine acknowledged the existence of ME/CFS, a condition characterised by debilitating fatigue, brain fog, sleeping problems, dizziness, and pain.In that time, there has been mounting scientific evidence that ME/CFS, which affects more than 400,000 people in the UK, is a genuine ailment rooted in physical causes that can lead to a wide array of symptoms. Yet arguments have continued to rage over whether it is a real illness or all in the mind. In the 1980s, it was dubbed yuppie flu as it seemed to mainly affect young professionals.That scepticism is partly due to the variety of non-specific symptoms associated with the condition. Now, the University of East Anglia study adds to the growing body of research supporting a physiological basis for CFS, offering hope for better diagnosis and treatment.