Leong, Kam-Hang, Yip, Hei-Tung, Kuo, Chien-Feng et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2022 · DOI
This study looked at over 12,000 people in Taiwan with ME/CFS and compared them to an equal number of similar people without the condition. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS are much more likely to also have depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and certain other illnesses like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. The study also found that doctors commonly prescribed antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, pain relievers, and recommended exercise and therapy—treatments that earlier research suggested might help with ME/CFS symptoms.
This large population-based study provides real-world evidence of which medical conditions commonly co-occur with ME/CFS and which treatments clinicians actually use, helping patients and doctors understand the full clinical picture of the disease. Identifying psychiatric and systemic comorbidities is crucial for comprehensive patient care and recognizing that ME/CFS often requires multi-faceted treatment approaches.
This study cannot prove that any of the observed treatments are effective—it only shows what doctors prescribed, not whether those treatments worked or improved outcomes. The association between CFS and comorbidities does not establish whether these conditions cause CFS, result from CFS, or share common underlying mechanisms. Additionally, findings from Taiwan's healthcare system may not directly apply to other countries or populations.
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
Leong, Kam-Hang, Yip, Hei-Tung, Kuo, Chien-Feng, & Tsai, Shin-Yi (2022). Treatments of chronic fatigue syndrome and its debilitating comorbidities: a 12-year population-based study.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-022-03461-0
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-leong-2022-treatments-chronic,
author = {Leong, Kam-Hang and Yip, Hei-Tung and Kuo, Chien-Feng and Tsai, Shin-Yi},
title = {Treatments of chronic fatigue syndrome and its debilitating comorbidities: a 12-year population-based study.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2022},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-022-03461-0},
note = {PubMed: 35690765},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/leong-2022-treatments-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/leong-2022-treatments-chronic
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