Chronic Fatigue Syndrome-Research Vitamin E

Veterans’ Affairs Doctors Need to Share Findings on Gulf War Illness

Gulf War Veterans being diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome need to be educated on research findings in the field of chronic fatigue.  One of the theories discussed in research on Chronic Fatigue is the problem of oxidative stress that is being investigated for potential treatments.  In order to keep you informed we forward interesting research that might help you in improving your quality of life.  One of the simplest research areas we could support would be dietary changes and the basic vitamin and mineral analysis that could be done for gulf war veterans.  Actually the VA physicians could think outside the box and order some basic tests on their gulf war veterans for example vitamin analysis.

This writer would be interested to know if any VA physician has considered this potential.  A simple test that could help find a potential treatment to improve the quality of life for gulf war veterans who are ill.  WE want to hear from VA physicians  what have you tested for in your tool box of tests that you found interesting results from that needs to be shared to other VA Doctors and to the gulf war veterans in the goal of helping their quality of life?

WE want to know what is in the new guide and teaching tool for VA doctors in relationship to treating gulf war illness.

We want to encourage the VA to develop an electronic internet communication for VA doctors seeing gulf war veterans to communicate with other VA doctors across the nation, with civilian doctors treating CFS/ME patients, and researchers both VA and civilian. 

CFS/ME: Difference in Blood Levels of Vitamin E
August 14, 2010

New Research out of Japan suggests that abnormal fluctuations in vitamin E levels are linked to symptom flares and remissions in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME).

Researchers looked at vitamin E levels in serum (a fluid that can be extracted from blood) and found that they’re lower overall in people with ME/CFS than in healthy controls. They also discovered that vitamin E levels are higher in ME/CFS patients during remission than when symptoms are more severe.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant, and researchers concluded that the fluctuating levels may be evidence that ME/CFS is linked to oxidative stress, and that an individual’s current level of oxidative stress may be directly linked to symptom severity.

These findings are in line with several previous studies, which have lead some doctors to recommend anti-oxidant supplements for ME/CFS patients.

Fluctuation of Serum Vitamin E Concentrations During Exacerbation and Remission in Patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
August 5, 2010
Objective

The etiology of chronic fatigue syndrome remains unknown. Oxidative stress may be involved in its pathogenesis. Vitamin E is a major endogenous lipid-soluble antioxidative substance, and is consumed during the lipid peroxidation process.

Methods

We studied a population comprising 27 patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (10 men and 17 women, 29 +/- 6 years of age) and 27 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Serum vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) concentrations were determined and expressed as mg/g total lipids (total cholesterol and triglyceride) to evaluate oxidative stress. Serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations (mg/g lipids) were significantly (P 3.24 +/- 0.83, P 2.85 +/- 0.73, not significant).

Conclusion

In conclusion, serum alpha-tocopherol concentrations were significantly lower in the patients with chronic fatigue syndrome as compared with the control subjects, suggesting increased oxidative stress in the former. The low level of serum alpha-tocopherol was ameliorated during the remission phase as compared with the exacerbation phase in the patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, suggesting that increased oxidative stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic fatigue syndrome and might also be directly related to the severity of the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.