NEW YORK, Jul 21 (Reuters Health) - An ineffective response to stress by the
circulatory system may help explain the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome
(CFS) among Gulf War veterans, preliminary research suggests.
According to a report in the July/August issue of the journal Psychosomatic
Medicine, blood pressure of veterans with CFS-like symptoms did not rise as much
as blood pressures of veterans without the disorder when confronted with a
mentally challenging situation. A small increase in blood pressure, the
researchers note, is a healthy response to stress that ensures blood supply to
the brain and muscles.
Furthermore, veterans whose blood pressure rose the least reported feeling
the most fatigue, the report indicates. Chronic fatigue syndrome is
characterized by debilitating fatigue that lasts more than 6 months that cannot
be attributed to other medical conditions and is often accompanied by poor
memory and concentration, sore throat, swollen glands, muscle pain, joint pain,
headache, unrefreshing sleep, and feelings of malaise after exertion. The exact
causes of CFS remain unknown.
According to the authors, the study findings suggest that veterans with
chronic fatigue may be unable to respond appropriately to mental challenges and
as a result may experience more difficulties with memory and concentration and
feel more fatigued.
"Our findings suggest that symptoms of illness in Gulf War veterans with
chronic fatigue are linked to the circulation in a coherent and physiologically
significant way," Dr. Arnold Peckerman, of the VA Medical Center in East Orange,
New Jersey, and colleagues write.
Previous reports found that patients with chronic fatigue have reduced blood
flow in the brain and muscle.
To investigate responses to physical and mental stress, Peckerman's team
compared blood pressure readings between 51 Gulf War veterans with chronic
fatigue and 42 veterans without the disorder. In one physical stress test,
researchers attached a plastic bag filled with crushed ice and water to
veterans' foreheads. Investigators measured mental effort by having veterans
complete math problems and present a videotaped speech.
While both groups of veterans had a similar rise in blood pressure during
the physical stress test, the blood pressure response was blunted during the
mental stress test in veterans with symptoms of chronic fatigue, Peckerman and
colleagues report.
