Spence, Vance A, Kennedy, Gwen, Belch, Jill J F et al. · Clinical science (London, England : 1979) · 2008 · DOI
This study found that people with ME/CFS have stiffer arteries and higher levels of inflammation and oxidative stress (cellular damage) compared to healthy people. These cardiovascular changes are associated with each other and may increase the risk of future heart problems in people with ME/CFS.
This study provides objective evidence that ME/CFS patients may have increased cardiovascular risk, a concern many patients report. The findings suggest that arterial stiffness assessment could become a useful clinical tool for identifying which ME/CFS patients are at higher cardiovascular risk and may need preventive interventions.
This study does not prove that inflammation and oxidative stress cause arterial stiffness in ME/CFS—only that they are correlated. It also does not establish whether these cardiovascular changes will actually lead to future heart disease, nor does it clarify whether the cardiovascular dysfunction is a primary feature of ME/CFS or secondary to inactivity or other factors.
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
Spence, Vance A, Kennedy, Gwen, Belch, Jill J F, Hill, Alexander, & Khan, Faisel (2008). Low-grade inflammation and arterial wave reflection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.. Clinical science (London, England : 1979). https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20070274
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-spence-2008-low-grade,
author = {Spence, Vance A and Kennedy, Gwen and Belch, Jill J F and Hill, Alexander and Khan, Faisel},
title = {Low-grade inflammation and arterial wave reflection in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Clinical science (London, England : 1979)},
year = {2008},
doi = {10.1042/CS20070274},
note = {PubMed: 18031285},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/spence-2008-low-grade},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-26. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/spence-2008-low-grade
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