Restless leg syndrome (RLS) in end stage renal disease

Abstract

Introduction: End stage Renal Disease refers to permanent, irreversible loss of renal functions due to variety of underlying disorders. The condition is quite prevalent in our part of the world. The occurrence of Restless legs syndrome (RLS) in such patients, especially those on hemodialysis, surpasses that in the general population. RLS significantly blemishes their quality of life. The syndrome has subtle and nonspecific symptoms which are commonly neglected in dialysis centers. The study aims to determine the frequency of restless leg syndrome in patients of advanced renal disease. Methodology: A Cross Sectional Study conducted at Department of Medicine, Mayo Hospital Lahore from Dec 2018 to June 2019 (6 months). Patients of 20-80 years of age and of both genders, diagnosed as ESRD for ≥3 months were enrolled and evaluated for RLS. The condition was diagnosed as per International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) criteria. The demographic data (age, gender, BMI and duration of symptoms) was recorded. History of smoking, alcohol use and chronicity of disease was also noted. Mean and percentages were calculated. Chi-Square test was applied. p-value of ≤0.05 was taken as significant. Results: Total of 75 patients were enrolled. Males were 54 (72.0%) while 21 (28.0%) were females. Mean age was 47.3±13.1(22-73) years. RLS was observed in 29 (38.7%) cases. Age, gender, duration of illness, smoking and alcohol consumption had no significant association with RLS (p values 0.642, 0.669, 0.208, 0.245, 0.565, 0.745) respectively. Conclusion: Restless legs syndrome is frequently encountered condition in ESRD patients.