Yataco, A, Talo, H, Rowe, P et al. · Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society · 1997 · DOI
Researchers tested whether ME/CFS patients have problems with their autonomic nervous system (the system that automatically controls heart rate, blood pressure, and other vital functions). They measured heart rate variability—natural variations in heart rate—in ME/CFS patients and healthy controls while lying down and standing up. They found that the heart rate patterns were similar between the two groups both at rest and when standing, suggesting that basic autonomic function may not be obviously different in ME/CFS.
Many ME/CFS patients experience orthostatic intolerance and neurally mediated hypotension, prompting investigation into autonomic nervous system dysfunction as a potential underlying mechanism. This study directly tested whether standard heart rate variability measures could detect such dysfunction, informing understanding of ME/CFS pathophysiology and potentially guiding future diagnostic approaches.
This study does not prove that autonomic dysfunction is absent in ME/CFS—it shows only that one specific measurement method (frequency domain HRV) did not detect differences between groups. Other autonomic assessments, measures of different HRV parameters (e.g., time-domain or nonlinear indices), or more sensitive testing protocols might reveal abnormalities not captured by this approach.
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
Yataco, A, Talo, H, Rowe, P, Kass, D A, Berger, R D, & Calkins, H (1997). Comparison of heart rate variability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and controls.. Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02267720
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-yataco-1997-comparison-heart,
author = {Yataco, A and Talo, H and Rowe, P and Kass, D A and Berger, R D and Calkins, H},
title = {Comparison of heart rate variability in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome and controls.},
journal = {Clinical autonomic research : official journal of the Clinical Autonomic Research Society},
year = {1997},
doi = {10.1007/BF02267720},
note = {PubMed: 9430800},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/yataco-1997-comparison-heart},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/yataco-1997-comparison-heart
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