Original articlePrevalence, Incidence, and Classification of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in Olmsted County, Minnesota, as Estimated Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project
Section snippets
Patients and Methods
This study was approved by the institutional review boards of Mayo Clinic and Olmsted Medical Center. We reviewed the records of Olmsted County residents seen between 1998 and 2002 who participated in the REP and granted permission for review of their medical records.
Results
Using the medical indexing of the REP, we identified 686 possible cases of CFS based on ICD-9/H-ICDA codes (Figure). Two patients declined consent for medical record review; review of the medical records of the remaining 684 patients identified 482 (70%) with an exclusionary condition (Table 2). Of the remaining 202 patients, we classified 76 as meeting criteria for CFS, 75 as meeting criteria for ISF, and 51 as having neither (Figure). Of the 76 cases that met CFS criteria, 50 (66%) were
Discussion
We used ICD-9 and H-ICDA codes from the REP in conjunction with medical record review to classify patients with CFS according to international research criteria.1 The codes accurately identified 66% of patients with CFS, which reflects a high level of knowledge and awareness of CFS among health care professionals in Olmsted County. Of note, 70% of patients who met symptom criteria had a current exclusionary condition. The most common exclusionary conditions were obstructive sleep apnea,
Conclusion
We found that CFS and ISF could be identified by medical record review and that the incidence and prevalence of CFS and ISF are relatively low in the Olmsted County population but are within prevalence ranges cited in other studies. One explanation for the low incidence is identification of patients who fulfill diagnostic criteria for a syndrome but who have an underlying exclusionary disease process that is readily identifiable or that is evolving. Such an outcome may be attributed to the
Acknowledgments
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the US Department of Health and Human Services, the US Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Center for Translational Science Activities at Mayo Clinic, the National Center for Research Resources, or the National Institutes of Health.
Dr Vincent had full access to all the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the
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Cited by (0)
Grant Support: This study was supported in part by grants from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (200-2009-M-32507, FP00055021·02), the Rochester Epidemiology Project (R01-AG034676; Principle Investigators: Walter A. Rocca, MD, MPH, and Barbara P. Yawn, MD, MSc), and the Center for Translational Science Activities at Mayo Clinic (this center is funded in part by a grant [RR024150] from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health).
Author Contributions: Ann Vincent, MD—Design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Dana J. Brimmer, PhD, MPH—Design and conduct of the study; analysis and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Mary O. Whipple, BA—Design and conduct of the study; collection, management, and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. James F. Jones, MD—Design and conduct of the study; interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Roumiana Boneva, MD, PhD—Design and conduct of the study; interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Brian D. Lahr, MS—Statistical analysis; interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Elizabeth Maloney, DrPh, MS—Design and conduct of the study; interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. Jennifer L. St. Sauver, PhD—Design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. William C. Reeves, MD, MS—Design and conduct of the study; interpretation of the data; and preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.
Dr Maloney is now with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology, Division of Epidemiology II, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD. Dr Reeves is now with the Division of Behavioral Surveillance, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
Data Previously Presented: These data were presented in part at the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, Honolulu, HI, May 14-19, 2011.
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Died [August 3, 2012].