Chronic Fatigue Costs UK Billions a Year

LONDON (Reuters Health) - Chronic fatigue syndrome, or as it is sometimes known, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), costs the UK economy 3.5 billion pounds a year, according to a report by Sheffield University researchers.

The report, commissioned by the charity Action for M.E, estimates that 240,000 Britons suffer from the condition and that the annual medical costs amount to 210 million pounds.

The bulk of the money -- roughly 2.2 billion pounds -- go to public purse costs such as social security benefits and lost taxation as patients often lose their jobs, according to the report.

"We feel that as a bare minimum, one percent of the estimated cost of M.E. -- 35 million pounds -- should be allocated to establish a thorough research program into M.E.," the charity said in a statement.

"This is the only way to begin to prevent this tremendous waste of money and lives."

The charity complained that there are no government funds specifically allocated for research. "As a result, we still do not know what causes M.E. and why some people become more severely affected than others."

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is characterized by a range of symptoms, including fatigue, headache, sleep problems, muscle pain and difficulty concentrating. The cause of CFS is uncertain.

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