The Concept of ME/CFS

[Simon M]

I'm wondering whether this could tie into our ME/CFS onset age-peaks somehow.

this is new to me, and interesting.

Having two age peaks is very unusual for diseases, and the examples are clustered, applying mostly to some cancers (mostly pretty young and pretty old) and quite a few autoimmune diseases (where there's more variation in the age of peak onset).

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

'... mounting evidence that , in multiple areas and systems of the body, aging processes are amplified after critical biological limits are breached'. The article basically argues that there are spikes in increased decrepitude/mortality around ages 40, 60 and 80.

I don't think this is new. We have always known that certain aging phenomena occur quite suddenly in certain decades. Loss of eye lens accommodation occurs around 40. Cataract formation around 80, unless there are accelerating factors. The Heberden's nodes of 'generalised osteoarthropathy appear quite suddenly around 60. Failure of tissue fluid control in the legs, leading to a tendency to oedema, occurs around 70 in everyone and often quite suddenly. Campbell de Morgan's red skin spots appear around 70. And so on.

All of these things seem to me a bit late for explaining onset of ME/CFS but of course there are plenty of other milestones in earlier life like menarche, menopause, pelvic epiphyseal closure, hair recession and greying etc.

 

[V.R.T.]

this is new to me, and interesting.

Having two age peaks is very unusual for diseases, and the examples are clustered, applying mostly to some cancers (mostly pretty young and pretty old) and quite a few autoimmune diseases (where there's more variation in the age of peak onset).

Any idea when we'll see your age of incidence paper? I'm really interested to read it.

 

[bobbler]

I don't think this is new. We have always known that certain aging phenomena occur quite suddenly in certain decades. Loss of eye lens accommodation occurs around 40. Cataract formation around 80, unless there are accelerating factors. The Heberden's nodes of 'generalised osteoarthropathy appear quite suddenly around 60. Failure of tissue fluid control in the legs, leading to a tendency to oedema, occurs around 70 in everyone and often quite suddenly. Campbell de Morgan's red skin spots appear around 70. And so on.

All of these things seem to me a bit late for explaining onset of ME/CFS but of course there are plenty of other milestones in earlier life like menarche, menopause, pelvic epiphyseal closure, hair recession and greying etc.

I agree it seems quite obvious to me at least in some things that there is a sudden aging point even just from watching my looks where there have been almost overnight seeming sudden finally I hit a cliff edge on that things go. And the eye thing was all fine then not fine.

But worrying that the Campbell de Morgan spots covered me around 30yrs if the norm is 70 - coinciding with a big dip in my me/cfs at that time. I know they apparently mean nothing but they seem to have been one of the most obvious things that in its abruptness seemed to be a sign of something else.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

But worrying that the Campbell de Morgan spots covered me around 30yrs if the norm is 70

Maybe mine were a bit earlier too. I forget. But they did seem to appear overnight. What I find reassuring is that there don't seem to be many more of them 5-10 years later. It's very odd. Definitely not a linear progression.