ME/CFS and Hypoperfusion

ME/CFS: What is it? New German Research on ME/CFS as an Illness of ‘Global Hypoperfusion’

In this talk, Patrick gives an overview of research from Charite University, Berlin, which maps out a ‘big picture’ view of the likely central dysfunctions in ME/CFS. These dysfunctions create an overall state of ‘global hypoperfusion’ (reduced blood perfusion throughout the body) which, in turn, creates both the exercise intolerance and post-exertional malaise that are central to ME/CFS. Patrick will describe the key reasons for the development of this ‘global hypoperfusion’ as well as the cellular issues that this hypoperfusion creates. The talk ends with a consideration of the kinds of treatments that this model of ME/CFS would suggest including the possibility (and it is just a possibility at this stage) of the world’s first ME/CFS drug. The research Patrick will be summarising is by Prof. Carmen Scheibenbogen and Prof. Klaus Wirth.

Patrick is an ME/CFS patient and has had the illness for 5 1/2 years. His website is www.patrickussher.com

NB. Microclotting will be mentioned in this talk but only in passing - for those wanting to learn more about this, please see Patrick’s previous talk -    • Microclots in ME/CFS  

NB 2: This talk has various technical terms - please see a list of some terms below that will be used and their meanings. If you are familiar with these beforehand, it will really help with understanding the talk.

Glossary

Dysautonomia - autonomic nervous system dysfunction - in ME/CFS this involves a chronically overactive ‘flight/fight/freeze’ state with excessive stress response
Vasoconstriction - the tightening of blood vessels
Vasodilation - the opening of blood vessels
Resistance blood vessels - smaller blood vessels situated in the muscles, brain, organs
Capacitance blood vessels - larger blood vessels concerned with blood flow return to heart
Vasodilation receptors - these receptors are situated on the blood vessels and will cause the blood vessels to open up if they receive the right ‘instructions’
Vasodilation receptor desensitisation - if these receptors are ‘desensitised’, they won’t work to cause vasodilation despite receiving ‘instructions’ to do so
Autoantibodies - autoimmune substances that have a hormone-like effect (instructive effect) on various bodily processes (not harmful in and of themselves but only harmful in excess)
Kallikrein-Kinin-System (KKS) - a system in the body that is capable of producing vasodilating substances/messengers (such as bradykinin, prostaglandin and others)
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS) - hormonal network concerned with maintaining salt balance and blood volume
Solute - salt mixed with water (in the context of this talk, this refers to salt in the urine)
Anaerobic threshold - point at which body passes its exercise tolerance and at which lactic acid is created
Vascular microleaks - small leaks in the blood vessels
Microclots - tiny clots in the blood, identified in ME/CFS
Endothelium - the lining of the blood vessels
Low cardiac output - a state in which the heart pumps out a reduced amount of blood
Sodium-potassium pump - pump mechanism that sits on the cell wall, pumping a certain amount of sodium/potassium out of the cell - up to 40% of body’s basic energy expenditure at rest goes towards maintaining activity of this pump - every single one of our trillions of cells has one of these ‘pumps’
Intracellular - inside the cell
Heart Preload failure - not to be confused with ‘heart failure’, preload failure refers to the inadequate filling of the heart with blood (ie. not enough blood getting into the heart prior to its pumping action)
HELP apheresis - German blood washing procedure to remove microclots
Immunoadsorption - German blood washing procedure to remove autoimmune components in ME/CFS