Contact: =09
Ann Cavanagh, Communications Director
Dr. A Martin Lerner CFS Foundation
+1 415.990.7150
<anncavan@yahoo.com>
Physician Challenges Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Community to Implement=20
Universal Measurement Tool
=95 Universal tool for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) will improve=20
evaluation, treatment and legitimacy of disease
=95 Energy Index Point Score=AE (EIPS=AE) Measures Disability of CFS Pati=
ents
=95 EIPS=AE validated through research published In Vivo: The=20
International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Pathophysiology=20
and Drug Research
BEVERLY HILLS, MI =96 October 19, 2009 =97 Dr. A. Martin Lerner of the=20
Treatment Center for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome=20
(www.treatmentcenterforcfs.com) in Beverly Hills, MI issues an=20
immediate call to action to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)=20
community - in an effort to implement a universal measurement=20
guideline for the treatment of CFS.
"The CFS community urgently requires a common measurement to evaluate=20
and treat patients. Just as oncologists are able to determine=20
treatment and prognosis based on the stage of cancer, an infectious=20
disease physician can do the same for CFS," says Dr. A. Martin=20
Lerner, Founder of The Treatment Center for CFS in Beverly Hills, MI.
"With measurement tools comes a common language for research, a=20
universal standard for evaluation and treatment, and ultimately the=20
legitimacy this disease deserves. I issue a call to action today, to=20
physicians and patients alike, to join me in using the Energy Index=20
Point Score=AE system for treatment of CFS."
Dr. A. Martin Lerner of The Treatment Center for CFS in Beverly=20
Hills, MI has devoted the past 20 years of his life to research and=20
treatment of CFS after recovering from the disease himself. During=20
his efforts, Dr. Lerner realized the need for a measurement tool to=20
evaluate the degree of disability for each patient, as well as track=20
the success of each recovery. Without a benchmark, fatigue was too=20
subjective and difficult to measure. From this need he created the=20
Energy Index Point Score=AE (EIPS=AE), Registered, U.S. Patent and=20
Trademark Office - a functional capacity measurement tool for CFS=20
patients (reference attached PDF for the EIPS=AE system).
The EIPS=AE system defines the severity of patient fatigue, 0-10,=20
through measurement of real-life situations including one's ability=20
to sit, stand, be out of bed, work, perform housework, socialize,=20
exercise. The EIPS=AE level is determined through discussion between=20
the physician and patient. A change in EIPS=AE level of one is a=20
significant change in health and lifestyle for the patient, as CFS=20
symptoms decrease when the EIPS=AE increases. For full EIPS=AE tool visit=
=20
http://www.treatmentcenterforcfs.com/energy_index_score/documents/EIPS.pd=
f
"Using the EIPS=AE as a benchmark for my practice and research has=20
improved my ability to gauge illness as well as capture individuals'=20
improvements. It is also an extremely helpful teaching tool for=20
discussing parameters with a patient=85what they can and can't do as=20
they heal" says Dr. Lerner.
"As a CFS patient, the EIPS=AE has helped me understand what my=20
short-term and long-term goals are and should be. For example, I know=20
that I'll relapse again if I start to exercise before I'm an 8," says=20
Carol Gill, CFS patient of the Treatment Center for CFS. "Before I=20
started treatment with Dr. Lerner I didn't know how to manage my=20
symptoms. I was up one month and down the next. With the use of his=20
EIPS=AE management tool I've watched myself steadily improve over time."
The EIPS=AE has been validated as a measurement for disability in=20
patients with CFS through a research effort published by In Vivo: The=20
International Journal of Experimental and Clinical Pathophysiology=20
and Drug Research, entitled "Validation of the Energy Index Point=20
Score to Serially Measure the Degree of Disability in Patients with=20
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome."
"In an effort to move forward in the treatment of this horrible=20
affliction, we as doctors need to join together and assess patients=20
uniformly. Just as the US government has assigned standard categories=20
for storms in order to assess damages and prepare next steps, we as=20
doctors who treat CFS need to rely on benchmarks for our patients in=20
order to assess physical ailments and prepare our next steps," says Dr. L=
erner.
About Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, also called Chronic Fatigue and Immune=20
Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS) or Myalgic Encephylomyelitis (ME),=20
affects as many as 4 million people in the US alone, by CDC=20
estimates, with a quarter disabled. It affects more Americans than=20
AIDS, lung cancer and breast cancer combined. Research by the=20
National Chronic Fatigue foundation found CFS sufferers average age=20
of death to be as much as 20 years premature to the average=20
American. It is a multi-symptom disease, affecting the=20
cardiovascular, immune and central nervous system. The most=20
publicized symptom of the disease is the crippling fatigue, with most=20
patients bed-ridden for all but a few short minutes or hours per=20
day. To the naked eye these patients may look healthy, due to the=20
"invisible" nature of the symptoms, many times causing confusion=20
regarding its legitimacy.
About Dr. A. Martin Lerner
Dr. A. Martin Lerner founded the Treatment Center for Chronic Fatigue=20
Syndrome (CFS) in Beverly Hills, MI. An Infectious Diseases=20
specialist who was at one time plagued by CFS, he has committed his=20
life's work to the diagnosis and treatment of CFS for patients around=20
the world. Currently, he is finalizing a research paper on the=20
diagnosis of CFS, the role of Epstein Barr Virus, Human Herpes=20
Virus-6 and Cytomegalovirus infections and co-infections in CFS, the=20
effect these viruses have on the heart, and the use of oral antiviral=20
treatments for CFS. In the past 50 years Dr. Lerner has written over=20
200 original articles spanning all areas of infectious diseases and virol=
ogy.
About Dr. A. Martin Lerner CFS Foundation
The mission of this foundation is to advance research, treatment and=20
dissemination of information leading to a better understanding of=20
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
Keywords: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, CFS, Chronic Fatigue and Immune=20
Dysfunction Syndrome, CFIDS, Myalgic Encephilomyelitis, ME, Energy=20
Index Point Score, EIPS, Dr. A Martin Lerner, Treatment Center for CFS
- End -
---------------------------------------------
Send posts to CO-CURE@listserv.nodak.edu
Unsubscribe at http://www.co-cure.org/unsub.htm
Too much mail? Try a digest version. See http://www.co-cure.org/digest.htm
---------------------------------------------
Co-Cure's purpose is to provide information from across the spectrum of
opinion concerning medical, research and political aspects of ME/CFS and/or
FMS. We take no position on the validity of any specific scientific or
political opinion expressed in Co-Cure posts, and we urge readers to
research the various opinions available before assuming any one
interpretation is definitive. The Co-Cure website <www.co-cure.org> has a
link to our complete archive of posts as well as articles of central
importance to the issues of our community.
---------------------------------------------
