Researchers have conducted the largest-ever genetic analysis of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), a typically lifelong condition that affects people's ability to exert physical effort and can be debilitating.
The DecodeME study, which recruited over 15,000 people of European ancestry with the condition, revealed that eight stretches of the genome were tied to the syndrome. These had not previously been linked to ME/CFS. The gene variants found in these locations are also found in some healthy individuals, the research suggests. But in people with ME/CFS, the variants are likely to act alongside environmental factors to increase people's risk of the condition, the researchers said.
