ME/CFS Society of WA: Who is Affected

The disease can affect anyone -it is not confined to any particular region or country, nor any socio-economic or ethnic group or class, nor age.

The commonest age of onset in adults is early-20s to mid-40s while in children this is between the ages of 13-15 years. Cases have been recorded in children as young as 5 years old and it may occur even earlier. It is known to affect about 3 times as many women as men.

Recent studies provide evidence that genetic predisposition may be an important factor in the development of ME/CFS with a higher incidence of the disease observed in certain families than would normally be expected.