Research update: The relation between ME/CFS disease burden and research funding in the USA

Summary & key facts

This paper compares how big the health and economic impact of ME/CFS is to how much the U.S. NIH spends on research. Using earlier prevalence data and 2017 funding figures, the authors estimate ME/CFS affects 1 to 2.5 million Americans, has a disease burden about twice that of HIV/AIDS and more than half that of breast cancer, but receives only about 7% of the funding that would match its burden. They estimate NIH funding would need to rise roughly 14-fold to be commensurate, and note these numbers come from regression analysis and extrapolated burden estimates, so they are estimates with uncertainty.

Key facts:

• ME/CFS is estimated to affect between 1 and 2.5 million Americans.
• ME/CFS currently has no widely accepted biomarkers and no FDA-approved treatment, according to the paper.
• The authors used population-based extrapolations of earlier data and 2017 NIH funding figures to estimate 2017 disease burden and funding relationships.
• The study found ME/CFS has a disease burden about double that of HIV/AIDS.
• The study found ME/CFS has a disease burden of more than half (over 50%) of the burden of breast cancer.
• The authors estimate ME/CFS receives roughly 7% of the research funding that would be commensurate with its disease burden.
• To reach funding commensurate with the estimated disease burden, NIH funding for ME/CFS would need to increase by roughly 14-fold, according to the paper.

Abstract

To be commensurate with disease burden, NIH funding would need to increase roughly 14-fold.

Topics

Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Research

Categories

Health Sciences Medicine Psychiatry and Mental health

Tags

Burden of disease Computer science Data mining Disease Disease burden Gerontology Medicine Pathology Political science Relation (database)