Background Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term disabling illness accompanied by medically unexplained fatigue. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of CFS in South Korea. Methods Using the nationwide medical records provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), we analyzed the entire dataset for CFS patients diagnosed by physicians in South Korea from January 2010 to December 2020. Results The annual mean incidence of CFS was estimated to be 44.71 ± 6.10 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 40.57, 48.76], and the prevalence rate was 57.70 ± 12.20 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 49.40, 65.79]. These two rates increased by 1.53- and 1.94-fold from 2010 to 2020, respectively, and showed an increasing trend with aging and an approximately 1.5-fold female predominance. Conclusions This study is the first to report the nationwide epidemiological features of CFS, which reflects the clinical reality of CFS diagnosis and care in South Korea. This study will be a valuable reference for studies of CFS in the future.

This study aimed to explore the demographic characteristics of NAFLD in South Korea. Using nationwide medical records provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), we analyzed the entire dataset of patients with NAFL (ICD10 - K76.0) and NASH (ICD10 - K75.8) from 2010 to 2021. The annual incidence of NAFL/NASH increased significantly from 9.71/0.37 in 2010 to 13.95/5.52 per 1,000 persons in 2021 (P < 0.01). The annual prevalence of NAFL increased from 15.69 in 2010 to 34.23 per 1,000 persons in 2021, while the annual prevalence of NASH increased from 0.49 to 9.79 per 1,000 persons between 2010 and 2021(P < 0.01). Regarding the sex-dimorphic feature of NAFLD, there was male predominance < 50 years old but female predominance ≥ 50 years old for the incidence and prevalence of NAFL and the incidence of NASH. The incidence of NAFL increased by 3–4% every year, while the incidence of NASH increased 14.91-fold from 2010 to 2021. The increasing trend is noteworthy compared with previous reports.

No abstract

Background: Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a long-term disabling illness accompanied by medically unexplained fatigue. This study aimed to explore the epidemiological characteristics of CFS in South Korea.Methods: Using the nationwide medical records provided by the Korean Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), we analyzed the entire dataset for CFS patients diagnosed by physicians in Korea from January 2010 to December 2020. Results: The annual mean incidence of CFS was estimated to be 44.71 ± 6.10 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 40.57, 48.76], and the prevalence rate was 57.70 ± 12.20 cases per 100,000 individuals [95% CI: 49.40, 65.79]. These two rates increased by 1.53- and 1.94-fold from 2010 to 2020, respectively, and showed an increasing trend with aging and an approximately 1.5-fold female predominance. Conclusions: This study is the first to report the nationwide epidemiological features of CFS, which reflects the clinical reality of CFS diagnosis and care in South Korea. This study will be a valuable reference for studies of CFS in the future.