ArticlePloS one2015
The Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).
Article in PloS one, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 126 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
126 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025Pooled it
- Dietary Supplementation for Fatigue Symptoms in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)-A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Systematic review of fatigue severity in ME/CFS patients: insights from randomized controlled trials.Journal of translational medicine · 2024Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Systematic Review of Mind-Body Interventions to Treat Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2021Pooled it
- Systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).Journal of translational medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials for chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME).Journal of translational medicine · 2020Pooled it
- Cost-effectiveness of the ReDIRECT/counterweight-plus weight management programme to alleviate symptoms of long COVID.Nature communications · 2025Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Qualitative study of the acceptability and feasibility of acceptance and commitment therapy for adolescents with chronic fatigue syndrome.BMJ paediatrics open · 2021Trial
- Narratives of recovery from persistent fatigue: a stepwise learning process.Scandinavian journal of primary health care · 2026Article
- ME/CFS and the emotional toll of persistent disbelief: from epistemic to affective injustice.Medicine, health care, and philosophy · 2026Article
- Article
- [Transdisciplinary Expert Statement: care guide for people severely affected by ME/CFS in home-based care].Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2026Article
- Guidance on Home-Based Care for People with Severe ME/CFS: A Transdisciplinary Expert Statement.Wiener medizinische Wochenschrift (1946) · 2026Article
- The Role of Psychological Flexibility in Health-Related Quality of Life Among Patients With Persistent Physical Symptoms Associated With Indoor Environment and Chronic Fatigue - 9-Month Follow-Up of a Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2026Article
- Australian registry reports poor health and wellbeing in people living with ME/CFS.Journal of translational medicine · 2026Article
- Health-related quality of life changes in patients with Q-fever fatigue syndrome: a four-year follow-up study, 10 years post-infection.Quality of life research : an international journal of quality of life aspects of treatment, care and rehabilitation · 2026Observational
- Underuse of Pharmacologic Therapies for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Before Specialist Evaluation.Annals of family medicine · 2026Article
66 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionMyalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a common, severe condition affecting 0.2 to 0.4 per cent of the population. Even so, no recent international EQ-5D based health-related quality of life (HRQoL) estimates exist for ME/CFS patients. The main purpose of this study was to estimate HRQoL scores using the EQ-5D-3L with Danish time trade-off tariffs. Secondary, the aims were to explore whether the results are not influenced by other conditions using regression, to compare the estimates to 20 other conditions and finally to present ME/CFS patient characteristics for use in clinical practice. MATERIAL AND
methodsAll members of the Danish ME/CFS Patient Association in 2013 (n=319) were asked to fill out a questionnaire including the EQ-5D-3L. From these, 105 ME/CFS patients were identified and gave valid responses. Unadjusted EQ-5D-3L means were calculated and compared to the population mean as well as to the mean of 20 other conditions. Furthermore, adjusted estimates were calculated using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, adjusting for gender, age, education, and co-morbidity of 18 self-reported conditions. Data from the North Denmark Health Profile 2010 was used as population reference in the regression analysis (n=23,392).
resultsThe unadjusted EQ-5D-3L mean of ME/CFS was 0.47 [0.41-0.53] compared to a population mean of 0.85 [0.84-0.86]. The OLS regression estimated a disutility of -0.29 [-0.21;-0.34] for ME/CFS patients in this study. The characteristics of ME/CFS patients are different from the population with respect to gender, relationship, employment etc.
conclusionThe EQ-5D-3L-based HRQoL of ME/CFS is significantly lower than the population mean and the lowest of all the compared conditions. The adjusted analysis confirms that poor HRQoL of ME/CFS is distinctly different from and not a proxy of the other included conditions. However, further studies are needed to exclude the possible selection bias of the current study.
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