Rajeevan, Mangalathu S, Murray, Janna, Oakley, Lisa et al. · Journal of translational medicine · 2018 · DOI
This study compared telomere length—the protective caps at the ends of our DNA—between people with ME/CFS and healthy controls. Researchers found that people with ME/CFS had shorter telomeres, suggesting their cells may be aging faster than expected. The effect was strongest in women under 45 years old with ME/CFS, who showed signs of aging equivalent to 10-20 years beyond their actual age.
This research provides biological evidence that ME/CFS may involve accelerated cellular aging, which could help explain the profound fatigue and symptom severity patients experience. Understanding whether and how ME/CFS accelerates aging could guide future therapeutic strategies and validate the serious physiological nature of the condition.
This cross-sectional study cannot establish causation or determine whether telomere shortening causes ME/CFS symptoms or results from them. The study does not prove that the accelerated aging process is functionally significant or explains the mechanisms underlying ME/CFS pathology. Results may not generalize to all populations, as the effect was predominantly observed in young women.
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
Rajeevan, Mangalathu S, Murray, Janna, Oakley, Lisa, Lin, Jin-Mann S, & Unger, Elizabeth R (2018). Association of chronic fatigue syndrome with premature telomere attrition.. Journal of translational medicine. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-018-1414-x
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-rajeevan-2018-association-chronic,
author = {Rajeevan, Mangalathu S and Murray, Janna and Oakley, Lisa and Lin, Jin-Mann S and Unger, Elizabeth R},
title = {Association of chronic fatigue syndrome with premature telomere attrition.},
journal = {Journal of translational medicine},
year = {2018},
doi = {10.1186/s12967-018-1414-x},
note = {PubMed: 29486769},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/rajeevan-2018-association-chronic},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/rajeevan-2018-association-chronic
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