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Restless Legs Syndrome: Fairly Common, Very Disruptive

In a large multinational study, 4% of women and 2% of men reported having distressing RLS symptoms at least twice weekly during the past year.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by an uncontrollable urge to move the legs (usually due to uncomfortable sensations in them) while lying down or sleeping, especially at night; worsening of symptoms with rest; and relief of symptoms with movement. To determine the prevalence of clinically significant RLS in the general population, these researchers interviewed 15,391 randomly selected adults in the U.S. and Europe.

A total of 1114 subjects (7%) reported having all diagnostic features of RLS at some point in their lives, of whom 416 (3%) reported clinically meaningful RLS (i.e., distressing symptoms at least twice weekly during the past year). The prevalence of clinically meaningful RLS was 4% in women and 2% in men, and increased with age up to age 79. Quality-of-life scores were significantly lower in patients with clinically meaningful RLS than in the general population (no control group in this study).

Of the 416 subjects with clinically meaningful RLS, 337 (81%) had discussed their symptoms with primary care physicians, and 252 had received specific diagnoses (most commonly, poor circulation, arthritis, and spinal/back problem). Only 21 (6%) reported diagnoses of RLS.

Comment: This study is probably the largest and most representative population-based view of the prevalence and functional effect of RLS to date. The prevalence of clinically meaningful RLS is much lower than that of any RLS, but its influence on affected individuals is considerable. Recent reviews by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine outline available drug treatments and emphasize the need to target therapy to patients who meet specific diagnostic criteria (AASM practice parameter and update).

— Thomas L. Schwenk, MD

Published in Journal Watch General Medicine July 1, 2005

Citation(s):

Allen RP et al. Restless legs syndrome prevalence and impact: REST General Population Study. Arch Intern Med 2005 Jun 13; 165:1286-92.

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