And if the syndrome of chronic fatigue, this flattening of the batteries, (also called “myalgic encephalomyelitis” or “yuppie syndrome”), was actually written in the genes?
In other words, that the people concerned in France, around 200,000 people (the vast majority of whom were women) were not slackers but that their complaints – discomfort occurring during exercise with permanent fatigue without recovery despite sleep – were explained by anomalies in their DNA?
DNA analysis of more than 27,000 people
For the first time in the study of this still poorly understood condition, a genetic lead has in any case just been highlighted by works still awaiting publication conducted by the University of Edinburgh (Scotland). Researchers have conducted the largest genetic study ever conducted on this mysterious pathology and their findings undoubtedly shed new light. Launched in 2022, the aptly named project DecodeME consisted of analyzing the DNA of more than 27,000 people, including more than 15,000 patients diagnosed with chronic fatigue.
Over time, scientists have managed to identify eight regions of the genome that are all close to genes linked to immune and neurological responses, including OLFM4, which is associated with the antimicrobial response, ZNFX1, involved in the reaction to RNA viruses, and CA10, linked to chronic pain.
Managing your energy to avoid post-exercise discomfort
As the researchers point out in the university press release, “ Since a person's DNA does not change over time, we therefore claim that the identified genetic signals did not develop because of the disease but are likely to reflect its causes". This genetic work will obviously first have to be published and then compared with other approaches (biology, brain imaging), all of which have been striving for decades to demonstrate that patients are not imaginary patients. Example with a very recent work on long Covid which shares many similarities with chronic fatigue syndrome. The challenge of this research is obviously to offer a treatment that does not exist to date, as patients have no other solution than to learn to live with their illness and manage their energy to avoid post-exercise discomfort.
To find out more:
French Association for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Inserm: What is chronic fatigue?
English 
French