Abstract
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is frequently associated with poor mental health and impaired quality of life (QoL), due to discomfort, pain, fatigue, inability to rest, sleep disturbances, and consequently, anxiety and depression. The aim of this study is to address this issue in a community-based cohort of patients with RLS. The present study is a sub-analysis of the community-based prevalence study. In this door-to-door survey, we identified according to four essential IRLSSG diagnostic criteria 107 people with RLS. Clinical characteristics of RLS, including QoL, were obtained from 94 subjects (88 %), who completed the Serbian translation of SF-36. The main finding of our study was that the severity of RLS, in particular frequency of symptoms, negatively influenced majority of the SF-36 domains. The severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms was negatively associated with all domains of SF-36. Age of participants significantly correlated with both physical and mental composite scores. In multivariate linear regression model, higher scores of Hamilton depression (p = 0.001) and anxiety (p = 0.003) Rating scales were the most significant negative contributors of the total SF-36 score in persons with RLS. Suggesting particular role of comorbid depression and anxiety, our results may have a practical implication in terms of different psychosocial treatment and support in addition to the regular therapeutic protocols in RLS patients.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hening WA (2002) Restless legs syndrome: a sensorimotor disorder of sleep/wake motor regulation. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2:186–196
Hening W, Allen R, Earley C, Kushida C, Picchietti D, Silber M (1999) The treatment of restless leg syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder. An American Academy of Sleep Medicine Review. Sleep 22:970–999
Earley CJ (2003) Clinical practice. Restless legs syndrome. N Engl J Med 348:2103–2109
Allen RP, Walters AS, Montplaisir J, Hening W, Myers A, Bell TJ, Ferini-Strambi L (2005) Restless legs syndrome prevalence and impact: REST general population-based study. Arch Intern Med 165:1286–1292
Pekmezovic T, Jovic J, Svetel M, Kostic VS (2013) Prevalence of restless legs syndrome among adult population in a Serbian district: a community-based study. Eur J Epidemiol 28:927–930
Walters AS (1995) Toward a better definition of the restless legs syndrome. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Mov Disord 10:634–642
International RLS Study Group (2011) Revised diagnostic criteria. Available at: http://irlssg.org/diagnostic-criteria/. Accessed 1 Oct 2012
Hening WA, Allen RP, Washburn M, Lesage SR, Earley CJ (2009) The four diagnostic criteria for restless leg syndrome are unable to exclude confounding conditions (“mimics”). Sleep Med 10:976–981
Abetz L, Allen R, Follet A, Washburn T, Earley C, Kirsch J, Knight H (2004) Evaluating the quality of life of patients with restless legs syndrome. Clin Ther 26:925–935
McCrink L, Allen RP, Wolowacz S, Sherrill B, Connolly M, Kirsch J (2007) Predictors of health-related quality of life in sufferers with restless legs syndrome: a multi-national study. Sleep Med 8:73–83
Kushida C, Martin M, Nikam P, Blaisdell B, Wallenstein G, Ferini-Strambi L et al (2007) Burden of restless legs syndrome on health-related quality of life. Qual Life Res 16:617–624
Walters AS, LeBrocq C, Dhar A, Hening W, Rosen R, Allen RP (2003) Trenkwalder C; International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group. Validation of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group rating scale for restless legs syndrome. Sleep Med 4:121–132
Allen RP, Picchietti D, Hening WA, Trenkwalder C, Walters AS, Montplaisi J (2003) Restless legs syndrome: diagnostic criteria, special considerations, and epidemiology. A report from the restless legs syndrome diagnosis and epidemiology workshop at the National Institutes of Health. Sleep Med 4:101–119
Hamilton M (1967) Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 6:278–286
Hamilton M (1959) The assessment of anxiety states by rating. Br J Med Psychol 32:50–55
Ware JE, Snow KK, Kosinski M (1993) SF-36 health survey manual and interpretation guide. Nimrod Press, Boston
Happe S, Reese JP, Stiasny-Kolster K, Peglau I, Mayer G, Klotsche J et al (2009) Assessing health-related quality of life in patients with restless legs syndrome. Sleep Med 10:295–305
Cho YW, Kim DH, Allen RP, Earley CJ (2012) Assessing health-related quality of life in patients with restless legs syndrome in Korea: comparison with other chronic medical diseases. Sleep Med 13:1158–1163
Winkelman J, Redline S, Baldwin CM, Resnick HE, Newman AB, Gottlieb DJ (2009) Polysomnographic and health-related quality of life correlates of restless legs syndrome in the Sleep Heart Health Study. Sleep 32:772–778
Cuellar N, Strumpf NE, Ratcliffe SJ (2007) Symptoms of restless legs syndrome in older adults: outcomes on sleep quality, sleepiness, fatigue, depression, and quality of life. J Am Geriatr Soc 55:1387–1392
Abetz L, Vallow SM, Kirsch J, Allen RP, Washburn T, Earley CJ (2005) Validation of the restless legs syndrome quality of life questionnaire. Value Health 8:157–167
Dodel R, Happe S, Peglau I, Mayer G, Wasem J, Reese H, Giani G, Geraedts G, Trenkwalder C, Oerther W, Stiasny-Kolster K (2010) Health economic burden of patients with restless legs syndrome in a German ambulatory setting. Pharmacoeconomics 28:381–393
Addington AM, Gallo JJ, Ford DE, Eaton WW (2001) Epidemiology of unexplained fatigue and major depression in the community: the Baltimore ECA follow-up, 1981–1994. Psychol Med 31:1037–1044
Breslau N, Roth T, Rosenthal L, Andreski P (1996) Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders: a longitudinal epidemiological study of young adults. Biol Psychiatry 39:411–418
Chang PP, Ford DE, Mead LA, Cooper-Patrick L, Klag MJ (1997) Insomnia in young men and subsequent depression. The Johns Hopkins precursors study. Am J Epidemiol 146:105–114
Ford DE, Kamerow DB (1989) Epidemiologic study of sleep disturbances and psychiatric disorders. An opportunity for prevention? J Am Med Assoc 262:1479–1484
Kalloo A, Gamaldo CE, Kwan AB, Salas RE (2013) The impact of restless legs syndrome/willis-Ekbom disorder on quality of life. Eur Neurol Rev 8:97–104
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia (Grant Numbers 175090 and 175087).
Conflict of interest
The authors have no any conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Svetel, M.V., Jovic, J.S., Pekmezovic, T.D. et al. Quality of life in patients with primary restless leg syndrome: community-based study. Neurol Sci 36, 1345–1351 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2103-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2103-7