Fred Gill

Source:NIH

Fred Gill, MD, FACP, FIDSA, is a researcher at the National Institutes of Health, Chief of the Internal Medicine Consultation Service for the Clinical Center and an Attending Physician for the Undiagnosed Disease Program, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH Office of Rare Diseases Research.

Dr. Gill is one of the Associate Investigators assigned to the NIH Post-Infectious ME/CFS Study.

Notable studies

• 2009, Use of rituximab for refractory cytopenias associated with autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome (ALPS) (see Rituximab)

Talks and interviews

• February 22, 2011 NIH VideoCast, Fred Gill - Demystifying Medicine - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is there a virus? (Video)
• February 22, 2011 NIH VideoCast, Fred Gill - Demystifying Medicine - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is there a virus? (PowerPoint slides)

Controversy

In 2011, Dr. Fred Gill presented a lecture on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as part of an educational series organized by the NIH. His slides from that presentation included controversial statements, such as "a syndrome very similar to CFS was named neurasthenia (or nervous exhaustion)...", and "no difference in orthostatic instability in healthy controls vs CFS patients."

He also recommended very limited and basic screening, with "other tests only when clinically indicated," specifying that there should be "no routine serologies for EBV, CMV, Lyme disease or vasculitis" and "no routine neuroimaging or orthostatic studies." He also warned that "any positive test is likely to be a false positive result, which is misleading and often causes unnecessary anxiety."

He then recommended Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and Graded exercise therapy (GET) as the only therapies which "appear to produce meaningful benefit." Doctors and therapists were also advised to "avoid debate over the psychogenic versus organic origins of symptoms." His slides finished up with an uncritical report of the effectiveness and safety of CBT and GET, based on the interpretations of the PACE trial investigators.

Online presence

• NIH - Fred Gill

Learn more

• 2011, Review of Fred Gill's talk at NIH by Charlotte von Salis
• 2011, MassCFIDS: Summary and comments on the 2011 NIH VideoCast "Demystifying Medicine - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Is there a virus?"
• https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/washingtonpost/name/fred-gill-obituary?id=1866513

See also

NIH Post-Infectious ME/CFS Study

See National Institutes of Health.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) - A set of biomedical research institutes operated by the U.S. government, under the auspices of the Department of Health and Human Services.

genome an organism's complete set of DNA, including all of its genes

See chronic fatigue syndrome.

cytomegalovirus (CMV) - A common herpesvirus found in humans. Like other herpesviruses, it is a life-long infection that remains in a latent state inside the human body, until it is 'reactivated' by appropriate conditions. CMV infects between 60% to 70% of adults in industrialized countries and close to 100% in emerging countries. Much is unknown about this virus, although it has been found in salivary glands and myeloid blood cells such as monocytes. It has also been linked to the development of certain cancers. Congenital CMV is a leading infectious cause of deafness, learning disabilities, and intellectual disability. A common treatment for CMV is valganciclovir, commonly known as Valcyte.

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - A type of psychotherapy geared toward modifying alleged unhealthy thinking, behaviors or illness beliefs. One of the treatment arms used in the controversial PACE trial.

See cognitive behavioral therapy.

graded exercise therapy (GET) - A gradual increase in exercise or activity, according to a pre-defined plan. Focuses on overcoming the patient's alleged unhelpful illness beliefs that exertion can exacerbate symptoms, rather than on reversing physical deconditioning. Considered controversial, and possibly harmful, in the treatment or management of ME. One of the treatment arms of the controversial PACE trial.

See Graded exercise therapy.