How peptic ulcer disease could potentially lead to the lifelong, debilitating effects of chronic fatigue syndrome: an insight, by Chien-Feng Kuo, Leiyu Shi, Cheng-Li Lin, Wei-Cheng Yao, Hsiang-Ting Chen, Chon-Fu Lio, Yu-Ting Tina Wang, Ching-Huang Su, Nai-Wei Hsu & Shin-Yi Tsai in Scientific Reports vol 11, no.: 7520 (April 2021)

Research abstract: 

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has been defined as unexplained relapsing or persistent fatigue for at least 6 consecutive months. Immuno-inflammatory pathway, bacterial infection, and other causes play essential roles in CFS.

Helicobacter pylori infection is one of the most common causes of foregut inflammation, leading to peptic ulcer disease (PUD). This study aimed to analyze the risk of CFS development between patients with and without PUD. Other related factors were also analyzed.

We performed a retrospective, nationwide cohort study identifying patients with or without PUD respectively by analyzing the Longitudinal Health Insurance Database 2000 (LHID2000), Taiwan.

The overall incidence of CFS was higher in the PUD cohort than in the non- PUD cohort (HR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.75–2.30), with the same adjusted HR (aHR) when adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidities. The sex-specific PUD cohort to the non-PUD cohort relative risk of CFS was significant in both genders. The age-specific incidence of CFS showed incidence density increasing with age in both cohorts. There is an increased risk of developing CFS following PUD, especially in females and the aging population. Hopefully, these findings can prevent common infections from progressing to debilitating, chronic conditions such as CFS.