tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704399741044225276.post3291153471747178157..comments2023-05-17T13:30:54.725-07:00Comments on X-treme denial: HAWMC Day 7th: The media and MEAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12281551619335996831noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704399741044225276.post-53336954055244813562013-04-07T19:02:39.721-07:002013-04-07T19:02:39.721-07:00Thank you Tom, I admire and appreciate your eloque...Thank you Tom, I admire and appreciate your eloquence. We patients with ME are lucky to have you around. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12281551619335996831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5704399741044225276.post-59163891894441022212013-04-07T18:22:30.434-07:002013-04-07T18:22:30.434-07:00One major problem with the four CDC studies mentio...One major problem with the four CDC studies mentioned above is that they used a very weird definition for chronic fatigue syndrome, the so-called "empiric" criteria. The CDC had previously estimated the prevalence of CFS as 0.235% of the population. Using very similar methods, the study by them that used these criteria found a prevalence of 2.54% i.e. 10.8 times the previous prevalence estimate. These new criteria have brought in all sorts of people who don't appear to have CFS at all i.e. have poor specificity. For example, one study found that 38% of those with a major depressive disorder, who wouldn't previously have been seen as CFS patients, were classified as having CFS under this new definition.<br /><br />Prof. Leonard Jason discusses the problems with the definition at: http://www.iacfsme.org/IssueswithCDCEmpiricalCaseDefinitionandPrev/tabid/105/Default.aspx .<br /><br />This petition website includes further information and criticisms of the criteria: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/empirical_defn_and_cfs_research/index.html .<br /><br />Fortunately, the criteria have not been adopted by researchers outside the CDC, and it looks like the CDC may themselves stop using them.Tom Kindlonhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Tom_Kindlon2/noreply@blogger.com