Longitudinal study of chronic nausea and vomiting and its associations with sleep-related leg cramps in the US general population

Introduction

Chronic nausea and vomiting (CNV) can have a long-term impact on people's health and quality of life. This study aims to investigate whether CNV is involved in the development of sleep-related leg cramps (SRLCs) in a longitudinal study involving 10,931 participants representative of the US general population.

Methods

Participants were interviewed three years apart over the telephone using the Sleep-EVAL expert system. It collected information on sleep habits/disturbances (International Classification of Sleep Disorders), mental disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and medical conditions. CNV was defined as episodes of nausea and vomiting occurring at least five times a month for at least one month (outside pregnancy) as per the ROME IV recommendations.

Results

At the initial interview, 3% (95%CI:2.7%-3.3%) of the participants reported CNV, and 2.5% (95%CI:2.2%-2.8%) at follow-up. The 3-year incidence for CNV was 1.4%. SRLCs was found in 12.4% (95%CI:11.9%-13.1%) of the sample at the first-interview and 11.5% (95%CI:10.1%-12.1%) at follow-up. Multivariate models show that individuals with CNV at both interviews had a relative risk 4.1 times higher (95%CI:2.7–6.2; p < 0.0001) to have SRLCs at follow-up compared to those without nausea or vomiting. Magnesium intake at the initial interview was a protective factor for SRLCs (RR 0.4; 95%CI: 0.2–0.7; p = 003).

Discussion

Symptoms of CNV lasting for years is highly predictive of SRLC based on this longitudinal survey. The link between the two pathologies could be partially explained by potential potassium/magnesium depletion from muscles as a result of CNV. The findings of this study call for physician awareness of the association between CNV and SRLC.