Alison Bested

Alison Christine Bested, MD, FRCP(C): Haematological Pathologist; Environmental Health Clinic; Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Dr. Bested's medical specialty practice has been dedicated to patients with complex chronic medical conditions including: myalgic cncephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and persistent Lyme disease. She is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. She is works in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada.

Dr. Bested was chosen by Health Canada to participate on the Expert Medical Consensus Panel that wrote the Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols. This consensus definition was published in the Journal of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2003. In the literature this is known as the Canadian Consensus Definition of ME/CFS and is used worldwide by clinicians and researchers.

Writing committees and boards

 * 2003, one of the authors of the 2003 Canadian Consensus Criteria (CCC) for myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), published as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome:Clinical Working Case Definition,Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols


 * 2016, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Make the Diagnosis, a step-by-step process for physicians in order to make a diagnosis of ME/CFS successfully and to rule out other diseases


 * 2017-2018, serves on the Baseline/Covariate Working Group of the ME/CFS Common Data Element (CDE) project sponsored by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC). This working group reviewed data collection instruments widely used by investigators in the ME/CFS field, and either recommended their use unchanged or (more often) proposed some modifications.

Dr Alison Bested scholarship fund
A scholarship was founded in Dr Bested's name to honor her dedication to ME/CFS, FM and MCS patients. Canadian Students enrolled in the Environmental Medicine elective at University of Toronto are eligible.

Open Letter to The Lancet
Dr. Bested participated in a campaign by ME specialists to have the PACE trial reviewed by an independent panel. In response to The Lancet 's publication of the controversial PACE trial in 2011, three open letters to the editor of The Lancet urged the editor, Richard Horton, to commission a fully independent review of the PACE trial. In 2016, Dr. Bested, along with 41 colleagues in the ME/CFS field, signed the second letter, and in 2018, Dr. Bested, along with over 100 colleagues signed a third letter.
 * 10 February 2016, An open letter to The Lancet, again - Virology blog
 * 9 July 2018, Trial By Error: Yet Another Appeal to The Lancet, With More On Board

Notable studies in ME/CFS

 * 2001, Chronic fatigue syndrome: neurological findings may be related to blood-brain barrier permeability. (Abstract)
 * 2003, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Clinical Working Case Definition, Diagnostic and Treatment Protocols (Full Text)
 * 2009, A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study of a probiotic in emotional symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome (Full Text
 * 2015, Review of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: an evidence-based approach to diagnosis and management by clinicians (Abstract)

Talks and interviews

 * 2011, "Tools to Stop Crashing, Start Pacing and Planning Your Health" - Allison Bested, MD at the 10th International IACFSME Conference, Patient Agenda
 * 2016, 12th International IACFS/ME Biennial Clinical and Research Conference, Emerging Science and Clinical Care, Review of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities/Environmental Sensitivities: Office Assessment and Management
 * 2016, "An Update on ME/CFS" presented at Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine Research Seminar Series
 * Oct 2016, Toronto M E October 2016 Protest: Message of Hope

Books

 * 2002, The Fibromyalgia Cookbook: More Than 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes, ISBN-10: 1581822707
 * 2008, Hope and Help for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia, ASIN: B00V1D68LU
 * 2013, The Complete Fibromyalgia Health Diet Guide and Cookbook, ISBN-10: 0778804534

Online presence

 * Pubmed
 * Faculty page University of British Columbia