A Single Center Study of the Clinical Features and Comorbidities of Patients with Restless Legs Syndrome

• Main Authors: Eun-Kyoung Han, In-Young Yoon, Sang Don Lee, Suk-Hoon Kang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korean Society of Sleep Medicine 2011-12-01
• Series: Sleep Medicine Research
• Subjects: Restless legs syndrome; Insomnia; Depression
• Online Access: http://www.sleepmedres.org/upload/pdf/smr-2-3-107.pdf

This study investigated the clinical features and comorbidities of patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS). A total of 128 RLS patients (68 women, 60 men; mean age = 58.03 ± 12.58 years) were assessed. The severity of RLS was evaluated by the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) Severity Scale. Among the subjects with RLS, depressive symptoms (65.5%) and poor sleep quality (95.4%) were frequently reported, and 88.3% of the patients showed moderate-to-severe symptom severity on the IRLSSG Severity Scale. The most common complaint was insomnia (70.3%), and 16 patients (12.5%) reported leg discomfort as their main symptom. Obstructive sleep apnea was observed in 66% of RLS patient. Iron deficiency was not prevalent in RLS patients. The severity of RLS was not significantly correlated with depression, sleep quality or sleepiness. We conclude that when assessing insomnia patients, RLS symptoms should be evaluated.