Who Is Most At Risk Of Developing CFS?
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 800,000 people in the United States presently suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome. In fact some experts theorize that the number is closer to one million or more. Chronic fatigue syndrome is estimated to be three times (although some people say four times) more common in females than it is in males. In fact the CDC estimates that for every 100,000 people that are afflicted by chronic fatigue syndrome, 522 of these are women while 291 are men. However be aware that either sex can still develop chronic fatigue syndrome but women do so more often than their male counterparts.
It is believed that for a very low percentage (less than ten percent) of those who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome are actually aware that that is what is wrong with them. For this reason a very small percentage of the population has been properly diagnosed or is receiving the treatment they need to improve their health condition. Chronic fatigue syndrome has been studied for over two decades but little is known about what causes this largely mysterious illness. Due to the fact that the cause or causes remain unknown, it is not clear why CFS affects certain individuals in the population and not others. Many of the symptoms of CFS are similar to other health conditions such as fibromyalgia and that is why a proper diagnosis is very difficult to make. A patient who is showing many of the symptoms of CFS must be subjected to a battery of tests before a diagnosis of the problem can be made with any level of certainty.
Among females in the population, chronic fatigue syndrome is more prevalent than other diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS), ovarian cancer, lung, cancer, lupus and HIV infection. The most common age group for CFS to strike is those who are 40 to 49 but it also commonly affects individuals in their 50s as well. Be aware that any age group is susceptible but less so. For example, children have been known to develop CFS but children also have the highest recovery rates from the disease, which is estimated to be 54 to 94 percent, when checked five to six years after the onset of the disease. Chronic fatigue syndrome is more common in teenagers than it is in young children.
Chronic fatigue syndrome affects people all across the globe as well as individuals who are in all ethnic groups and all racial groups. Studies have shown that chronic fatigue syndrome is as prevalent among Hispanics and African Americans as it is among those who are Caucasian. It has not been proven conclusively but it is believed that CFS may have a genetic link as it tends to run in families, however it does not appear to be contagious in the way that the common cold is for example. Chronic fatigue syndrome can affect people regardless of their level of education, occupation or income level. In that way it can be described as an equal opportunity illness because it discriminates against no one in particular.
