Please make sure you go back and read Part 1 from yesterday: CFS – The Central Cause: Mitochondrial Failure.
According to Dr. Sarah Myhill and what other CFS specialists believe, the main problem in CFS is mitochondrial failure resulting in poor production of ATP. ATP is the currency of energy in the body and if the production of this is impaired then all cellular processes will go slow.
Dr. Myhill says the “perfect test” to diagnose CFS has been developed by John McLaren Howard and it measures the the rate at which ATP is recycled in cells. It tests mitochondrial function. Howard’s test measures the rate at which ATP is made and where the problem actually lies. “Production of ATP is highly dependent on magnesium status and the first part of the test studies this aspect.”
The second part of Howard’s test measures the efficiency with which ATP is made from ADP. If this is abnormal then this could be as a result of magnesium deficiency, of low levels of Co-enzyme Q10, low levels of vitamin B3 (NAD) or of acetyl L-carnitine.
The third part of Howard’s test measures the protein that transfers ATP and ADP across mitochondrial membrane to see if that is impaired.
According to Myhill:
The joy of the ATP profiles test is that we now have an objective test of chronic fatigue syndrome which clearly shows this illness has a physical basis. This test clearly shows that cognitive behaviour therapy, graded exercise and anti-depressants are irrelevant in addressing the root cause of this illness.
To get the full picture I recommend combining this test with measuring levels of Co-enzyme Q10, SODase, Glutathione Peroxidase and NAD (an element in the process of energy production). Cell free DNA is very useful because it measures severity of the illness. When cells are damaged and die, they release their contents into the blood stream – cell free DNA measures the extent of this damage. The levels which come back are similar to those from patients recovering from major infections, trauma, surgery or chemotherapy – so this test puts CFS firmly in the realms of major organic pathology. SODase is an important antioxidant which mops up the free radicals produced in all the inefficient chemical reactions in the cells.
If you would like more information on ordering these tests, please click the link below for that information. Stay tuned Thursday for Part 3.
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