Young, Pablo, Finn, Bárbara C, Bruetman, Julio et al. · Medicina · 2010
Fatigue is one of the most common reasons people visit doctors, affecting about 30% of patients. This article explains how doctors should think about different types of fatigue—including chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which affects 0.2–0.7% of people. The authors emphasize that finding and treating the underlying cause is the best approach, though about 20% of patients never get a clear diagnosis.
This clinical review underscores the high prevalence and substantial social and economic burden of chronic fatigue, including ME/CFS. By clarifying diagnostic approaches and emphasizing the importance of systematic evaluation, the paper advocates for improved physician recognition and management of ME/CFS as a distinct condition.
This editorial does not present original research data, experimental evidence, or mechanistic insights into ME/CFS pathophysiology. It does not evaluate specific diagnostic tests, biomarkers, or treatment efficacy; rather, it summarizes existing clinical practice and diagnostic frameworks.
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
Young, Pablo, Finn, Bárbara C, Bruetman, Julio, Pellegrini, Débora, & Kremer, Armando (2010). [The chronic asthenia syndrome: a clinical approach].. Medicina. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20529781/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-young-2010-chronic-asthenia,
author = {Young, Pablo and Finn, Bárbara C and Bruetman, Julio and Pellegrini, Débora and Kremer, Armando},
title = {[The chronic asthenia syndrome: a clinical approach].},
journal = {Medicina},
year = {2010},
note = {PubMed: 20529781},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/young-2010-chronic-asthenia},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-28. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/young-2010-chronic-asthenia
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