Bennett, R · Current opinion in rheumatology · 1998 · DOI
This review examines how fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and widespread pain are related conditions that share similar features. Researchers found that these conditions run in families, involve abnormal pain processing in the nervous system, and may share some underlying biological problems like growth hormone imbalances and low blood pressure. Several medications and treatments showed promise in reducing symptoms.
This work demonstrates that fibromyalgia and ME/CFS share multiple biological abnormalities, suggesting they may lie on a disease spectrum rather than being entirely distinct conditions. Understanding these shared mechanisms is crucial for developing treatments that may benefit both populations and for recognizing that patients with overlapping symptoms need integrated diagnostic and therapeutic approaches.
This review does not prove causation for any of the described associations, nor does it establish whether familial clustering results from genetic or environmental factors. The article cannot determine whether shared biomarkers (like autoantibodies or hormone abnormalities) are causative, reactive, or incidental findings. Anecdotal associations mentioned (such as silicone implants) require prospective validation.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Bennett, R (1998). Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain.. Current opinion in rheumatology. https://doi.org/10.1097/00002281-199803000-00002
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-bennett-1998-fibromyalgia-chronic,
author = {Bennett, R},
title = {Fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and myofascial pain.},
journal = {Current opinion in rheumatology},
year = {1998},
doi = {10.1097/00002281-199803000-00002},
note = {PubMed: 9567202},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bennett-1998-fibromyalgia-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/bennett-1998-fibromyalgia-chronic
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