Why did it take the CDC so long to reverse course on debunked treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome?
After years of pleas from patients and experts, the CDC quietly dropped from its website two debunked recommendations for treating chronic fatigue syndrome.
For years, people with chronic fatigue syndrome have wrangled with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over information on the agency’s website about this debilitating illness. The website highlighted two treatments that became the de facto standards of care: a gradual increase in exercise and a form of psychotherapy known as cognitive behavioral therapy. The problem was that the evidence doesn’t support these treatments.
This summer, after years of resisting pleas from patients, advocates, and clinicians, the CDC from its website. Its decision represents a major victory for the patient community — and for science. But the country’s lead public health agency still has a long way to go
