The IAA One Minute Blog

A new blood test is highly accurate at diagnosing chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), offering for the first time, an objective way to identify the disabling condition.

Blood Test for CFS

CFS is estimated to affect up to 2.5 million people in the United States.

A research team compared test results among 61 people with CFS, 21 people with multiple sclerosis and 16 people who have no known health problems.

The new test uses artificial intelligence to analyze vibrations in a single blood cell caused by a laser. The technology is called Raman Spectroscopy, which can “interrogate individual cells.”

The test can differentiate between mild, moderate and severe cases of the illness 84 percent of the time.

The researchers wrote that the new test could help differentiate between other conditions that have similar symptoms, such as fibromyalgia, Lyme disease and long COVID. 

The new test is 91 percent accurate according to the findings.

The findings were published in the journal “Advanced Science.”

What is CFS

CFS causes extreme fatigue that lasts for at least six months. Symptoms worsen with physical or mental activity, but don’t fully improve with rest.

Symptoms can vary from person to person and the severity of symptoms can fluctuate from day-to-day.

In addition to fatigue, symptoms may include:

• Extreme exhaustion after physical or mental exercise
• Dizziness that worsens with moving from lying down or sitting, to standing
• Muscle or joint pain
• Problems with memory or thinking skills
• Unrefreshing sleep

The cause of CFS is unknown, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At this time, CFS is so difficult to diagnosis that an estimated nine in 10 people who have the condition don’t even know they have it.

What IAA has to Say

Any new research on CFS is something that Insurance Administrator of America wants to hear about. Researchers are finding new information all the time and IAA wants to make sure you are in the know.