Tag Archives: chronic fatigue syndrome

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Volume 15 Issue 17

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Inflammaging from a Population View

In a landmark study published in Nature Aging on July 7, 2025, researchers challenge a cornerstone of modern gerontology by showing that inflammaging, chronic, age-associated low-grade inflammation, is not universal across all human populations. The abstract states the following: “Inflammaging, an age-associated increase in chronic inflammation, is considered a hallmark of aging. However, there is no consensus approach to measuring inflammaging based on circulating cytokines. Here we assessed whether an inflammaging axis detected in the Italian InCHIANTI dataset comprising 19 cytokines could be generalized to a different industrialized population (Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study) or to two indigenous, nonindustrialized populations: the Tsimane from the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli from Peninsular Malaysia.

We assessed cytokine axis structure similarity and whether the inflammaging axis replicating the InCHIANTI result increased with age or was associated with health outcomes. The Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study was similar to InCHIANTI except for IL-6 and IL-1RA. The Tsimane and Orang Asli showed markedly different axis structures with little to no association with age and no association with age-related diseases. Inflammaging, as measured in this manner in these cohorts, thus appears to be largely a byproduct of industrialized lifestyles, with major variation across environments and populations.” (Franck et. al. 2025)

The research team analyzed 19 cytokines in over 2,800 individuals from four diverse populations: two industrialized cohorts: Italy’s InCHIANTI and the Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study (SLAS); two non-industrialized, Indigenous groups: the Tsimane of the Bolivian Amazon and the Orang Asli of Peninsular Malaysia.

In Italy and Singapore, the industrialized regions noted classic inflammaging signatures with inflammatory markers like IL‑6, TNF-α, and CRP increased with age, and correlated strongly with age-related chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and kidney disease….. and more on inflammaging…

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #63 – David Clarke, M.D. – Pain, Psychology and Trauma

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This weeks guest is Dr. David D. Clarke. Dr. Clarke is President of the Psychophysiologic Disorders Association where he teaches the science of the mind body connection as it relates to GI related diseases that do not fit a traditional diagnostic nor pathological framework. For three plus decades, he conducted detailed interviews with over 7000 people whose symptoms were not explained by diagnostic testing, but were significantly affecting their lives in a negative way. He realized that these individuals often suffered from severe traumas in childhood that built the foundation of current health struggles. We dive into his work and the successes built upon the recognition of, intervention for and resolution related to the issues and physiological manifestations of disease.

Dr. Clarke graduated from Williams College with honors before attending the University of Connecticut School of Medicine where he received his medical degree and the Mosby Award for Clinical Excellence.  He completed internship and residency in Internal Medicine and fellowship in Gastroenterology at Harbor/UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Clarke has lectured extensively on Psychophysiologic Disorders to specialists and the public across North America and Europe. He has appeared on syndicated broadcasts hosted by Rosie O’Donnell, by Montel Williams and by Michael Roizen(author of You: The Owner’s Manual).

He is the Author of “They Can’t Find Anything Wrong” and co-author of “A Diagnostic Guide for Psychophysiological Disorders” and Psychophysiologic Disorders”.

Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. David Clarke,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #13 – Dr. Peter Rowe, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Long Covid

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Dr. Peter Rowe is a Professor of Pediatrics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is the inaugural Sunshine Natural Wellbeing Foundation Professor of Chronic Fatigue and Related Disorders and serves as the Director of the Chronic Fatigue Clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

His areas of clinical expertise include chronic fatigue syndrome and other disorders characterized by fatigue and orthostatic intolerance. Dr. Rowe and his colleagues were the first to describe the relationship between chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and treatable orthostatic intolerance syndromes, as well as the association between Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and CFS.

In this episode, Dr. Rowe and I dive deep into CFS and long Covid for both the parent and the clinician. We set the stage for a better understanding of this complex disorder in order to encourage earlier diagnosis and better therapy.

Please Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 11 Issues 32 and 34

Majestic poplar

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Newsletter #32 covers – School and the Covid Generation

More than a year later, as we had feared, we are starting to see and feel the repercussions of the school closure pandemic phenomenon. The K shaped recovery of the economic pandemic is also playing out similarly in the school system. Last year, private schools stayed open while public schools shuttered. Of those in public school systems, many that could afford one, hired tutors to bridge the academic dysfunction of zoom education. The gap between the rich and poor just widened like never before right before our eyes. Regardless of the intent behind the outcome, we are now here. It serves no purpose to blame teachers unions or local governments or parents living in fear or any other publicized reason to date. We are Americans and we must now roll up our sleeves and begin the process of bridging this gap again. These children deserve our total and unwavering support. Link to more….https://www.salisburypediatrics.com/patient-education/dr-magryta-s-newsletter/983-school-and-the-covid-generation

Newsletter #34 covers – Long Covid and its association with Epstein Barr Virus, EBV, reactivation

This is a very important topic for clinicians and parents to understand so we are going to look at it a little more deeply.
Long COVID or what appears to be a post infectious inflammatory issue may now be a consequence of another infection. What are the symptoms of long COVID and when do they occur? From the CDC: Some people are experiencing a range of new or ongoing symptoms that can last weeks or months after first being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. Unlike some of the other types of post-COVID conditions that only tend to occur in people who have had severe illness, these symptoms can happen to anyone who has had COVID-19, even if the illness was mild, or if they had no initial symptoms. Symptoms can even begin weeks after the infection.  Link to more…. https://www.salisburypediatrics.com/patient-education/dr-magryta-s-newsletter/990-long-covid-and-its-association-with-epstein-barr-virus-ebv-reactivation