In the News
Keep up to date with the latest news articles from around the world.
Articles represent the views of their authors and not ME/CFS SA. Always seek advice from a registered health practitioner before changing your care plan.
09 October, 2024
Local Disability Advocate Receives International Honor
A US State College disability advocate whose fundraising efforts have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars has received an international honor. Emily Steffensmeier was recently named to Diversability’s 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List. Steffensmeier, who has lived with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and dysautonomia for 26 years, started Rowe’s Research Runners in 2017 to raise money for Dr. Peter Rowe’s Chronic Fatigue and Related Disorders Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital. What began as a walk around her State College neighborhood has grown into an annual in-person and virtual event – the Walk, Run, Roll – that has raised $350,000 since its inception.
09 October, 2024
A Pilot Cross-Sectional Investigation Of Symptom Clusters And Associations With Patient-Reported Outcomes In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome And Post COVID-19 Condition
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is associated with long-term disability and poor quality of life (QoL). Cardinal ME/CFS symptoms (including post-exertional malaise, cognitive dysfunction and sleep disturbances) have been observed in Post COVID-19 Condition (PCC). To gain further insight into the potential role of ME/CFS as a post-COVID-19 sequela, this study investigates associations between symptoms and patient-reported outcomes, as well as symptom clusters.
08 October, 2024
Address ‘Non-Existent’ Severe ME Care Or Risk Further Deaths, UK Health Minister Told
Coroner who heard inquest into death of Maeve Boothby O’Neill calls for action to tackle chronic fatigue syndrome.
08 October, 2024
Lanyon Bowdler Team Successfully Complete Shrewsbury Half Marathon
A group of staff from a Shropshire law firm successfully completed the Shrewsbury Half Marathon to raise funds for a charity which supports people living with ME.
08 October, 2024
Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch Releasing Debut Novel 'Nobody's Empire' In January
Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch has been wrapped up in books his whole life, and now he’s written one — his debut novel Nobody’s Empire will be out January 21 via HarperVia. Fans might recognize the title as the opening song to B&S’s 2015 album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, and the story is based on Murdoch’s life.
07 October, 2024
The Canary Has A Leaked Copy Of The Second NHS eLearning Module On ME/CFS. It’s Not Good.
The Canary has been leaked a draft copy of the second NHS eLearning module on myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME/CFS). It comes after patients have been expressing growing concern on social media over it. Those concerns seem well-placed – because there are some gaping holes in the NHS ME/CFS module’s content.
07 October, 2024
Vague Symptoms, Overlap With Other Illnesses Complicate Long-COVID Diagnosis
Today in Nature Communications, Canadian researchers highlight diagnostic challenges with the World Health Organization's clinical definition of long COVID, with a study showing that over a third of previously infected emergency department (ED) patients met the criteria—as did a fifth of those who reported no history of infection.
06 October, 2024
Low-Dose Lithium Fails In Long COVID Trial, But Higher Doses Show Potential
A small University at Buffalo clinical trial has found that at low doses, lithium aspartate is ineffective in treating the fatigue and brain fog that is often a persistent feature of long COVID; however, a supplemental dose-finding study found some evidence that higher doses may be effective.
06 October, 2024
How Long COVID Could Lift The Fog On Neurocognitive Disorders
Neurocognitive symptoms, including an impaired ability to process and memorize information, are among the most common and debilitating manifestations of long COVID, a disease experienced by as many as 400 million people worldwide, by one recent estimate (Z. Al-Aly et al. Nature Med. 30, 2148–2164; 2024). These symptoms, which can develop alongside those resulting from diseases of the lungs, heart and other organs, affect patients’ everyday functioning for months or even years following COVID-19. Matthew Fitzgerald, a 28-year-old former engineer at Tesla, described his long-COVID-related impairment during a clinic visit: “I’m a shell of myself. My physical issues aren’t half as bad as my brain problems. You can say brain fog, but that doesn’t come close to doing it justice.”
05 October, 2024
Muscle Relaxants Not As Effective For Chronic Pain – Yale Review
The long-term use of muscle relaxants may benefit patients with painful spasms or cramps and neck pain, according to a systematic review of clinical studies, but they do not appear to be beneficial for low back pain, fibromyalgia, or headaches and can have adverse effects such as sedation and dry mouth.
