Chest strap system monitors severity of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, by Conn Hastings in Medgadget, July 8 2021
Researchers at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain, have developed a system to monitor the severity of myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. The system includes a commercial chest strap sensor that measures heart rate variability and a paired app that collects, collates, and presents these data, allowing patients to monitor their condition and share information with their clinician.
ME is a debilitating condition, characterized by severe fatigue that interferes with daily activities. The prevalence of ME is expected to drastically increase in the coming years as it appears to be a common component of persistent COVID-19, also known as ‘long COVID’. ME may be triggered by persistent COVID-19, along with infection with other viruses, and some expect it to be a significant part of the wave of long COVID cases currently developing around the world.
The condition does not currently have diagnostic biomarkers or effective treatments, and historically has been largely overlooked and dismissed by medical science, so techniques to measure disease severity and track patient progress are surely welcome.
Research paper: Analysis of gender differences in HRV of patients with M/CFS using mobile-health technology
