Jason, Leonard A, McGarrigle, William J, Vermeulen, Ruud C W · Journal of personalized medicine · 2024 · DOI
This study tested 193 people with ME/CFS using a tilt table test to check if they had problems with their autonomic nervous system (the system that controls heart rate and blood pressure). About one in three participants showed signs of orthostatic intolerance—a condition where the body struggles to maintain proper blood pressure and heart rate when standing. People with these problems reported worse sleep, more severe post-exertional malaise (exhaustion after activity), and greater physical limitations.
This study provides objective evidence that autonomic dysfunction is common in ME/CFS and correlates with more severe symptoms and functional limitations. Identifying autonomic problems through tilt table testing may help clinicians understand symptom patterns better and tailor treatment strategies for ME/CFS patients experiencing orthostatic intolerance.
This cross-sectional study cannot prove that autonomic dysfunction causes the worse symptoms observed—only that they co-occur. It does not establish whether orthostatic intolerance is a primary driver of ME/CFS or a secondary consequence, nor does it prove these findings apply to all ME/CFS populations or those treated in different settings.
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
Jason, Leonard A, McGarrigle, William J, & Vermeulen, Ruud C W (2024). The Head-Up Tilt Table Test as a Measure of Autonomic Functioning among Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.. Journal of personalized medicine. https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm14030238
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-jason-2024-head-tilt,
author = {Jason, Leonard A and McGarrigle, William J and Vermeulen, Ruud C W},
title = {The Head-Up Tilt Table Test as a Measure of Autonomic Functioning among Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.},
journal = {Journal of personalized medicine},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.3390/jpm14030238},
note = {PubMed: 38540980},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jason-2024-head-tilt},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/jason-2024-head-tilt
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