How Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Progresses: The Natural History of ME/CFS.
Nacul, Luis, O'Boyle, Shennae, Palla, Luigi et al.·Frontiers in neurology·2020
This study proposes a framework for understanding how ME/CFS develops and changes over time, similar to other long-term illnesses. The authors suggest that ME/CFS progresses through stages—starting with genetic and environmental risk factors, moving through an early phase with high energy use and immune system problems, and potentially progressing to a later phase with low energy production and multiple system involvement. They emphasize that ME/CFS is not the same in every person or at every stage of illness, and that some people may improve if their body can restore better balance.