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Restless legs syndrome and related disorders

Description

An in-depth report on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of RLS.

Alternative Names

Ekbom's syndrome; Nocturnal leg cramps; Periodic limb movement disorder

Highlights

Periodic Limb Movement Disorder (PLMD)

Periodic limb movements are very common in elderly women, according to a 2006 study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine . In a study of 455 women with an average age of 83 years, researchers found that 66% of the women experienced 5 or more leg movements per hour, and 52% had 15 or more leg movements. Due to PLMD, over a quarter of the women awoke from sleep 5 or more times an hour. The researchers recommend that people with PLMD consult a sleep specialist.

Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) and Depression

Depression is common in patients with RLS, but the reverse may also be true, suggests a review in Sleep . Researchers found a significant overlap between depressive and RLS symptoms in several studies. In addition, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), a common type of antidepressant medication, can cause RLS symptoms.

RLS and Quality of Life

Patients with RLS have many physical and emotional conditions that interfere with their quality of life, indicates research presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. Researchers analyzed data from a National Sleep Foundation poll. Poll results suggested that people with RLS are more likely to:

• Have depression and anxiety
• Be overweight
• Be unemployed
• Smoke every day
• Have problems with work attendance and performance
• Miss social events

Drug Treatments

• Ropinirole (Requip), the only approved drug treatment for RLS, reduces RLS symptoms and improves quality of life and anxiety, according to a study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings . In the study, patients received ropinirole once a day for 12 weeks.
• Pramipexole (Mirapex) and cabergoline (Dostinex), two drugs that are related to ropinirole, are showing promising results in clinical trials. In studies published in Neurology , both drugs improved RLS symptoms, sleep, and quality of life.

• Review Date: 10/18/2006
• Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital

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