---

date: 2026-03-24
title: "Incidence of ME peaks in adolescence or early middle age"
cited: "Institute of Genetics and Cancer"
link: "https://institute-genetics-cancer.ed.ac.uk/incidence-of-me-peaks-in-adolescence-or-early-middle-age"
seo: "Researchers have found strong evidence that people are most likely to develop ME/CFS at two points in life"
tags: [ME]

---



> The study, led by researchers at the Institute of Genetics and Cancer, examined survey data from more than 9,000 people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) across ten European countries.
>
> They found an early onset peak at an average of age 16, and a later one at an average of 37 years old, with seven of the countries showing similar onset peaks individually.
>
> People with early-onset ME/CFS were more likely to report infection as a trigger, be more severely affected and have close relatives with ME/CFS.
>
> The researchers confirmed the presence of two age peaks in a separate group of more than 6,000 people with ME/CFS who took part in DecodeME, a large UK genetics study of the disease.
>