Abstract

Abstract Introduction Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a debilitating condition associated with reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and increased resource utilization. Our objective was to provide model-based estimates of quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gain and reduction in healthcare utilization that might be expected for changes in symptom severity. Methods We identified two health-economic studies which reported severity-specific quality-of-life and resource utilization. Happe et al. 2009 reported HRQoL using EQ-5D measurements stratified by International Restless Legs Scale (IRLS) severity (n=519, 63.6% female, 64.2 years) and Durgin et al. 2015 reported healthcare utilization stratified by RLS severity (no/mild/moderate/severe RLS) (n=2,392, 56.9% female, 56.0 years). We fitted regression models to support IRLS-specific estimates of EQ-5D and healthcare resource utilization. These models (polynomial for EQ-5D, linear for resource utilization) were applied to calculate QALY gain, and events avoided for ER visits, hospitalizations, and healthcare provider (HCP) visits over 5 years for IRLS improvement of 1-10 points, from a baseline of 30, 25, and 20. Results At five years, a 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10-point IRLS reduction corresponded to a QALY gain of 0.09, 0.25, 0.40, 0.52, and 0.69 for a baseline of 30, 0.07, 0.19, 0.29, 0.37, and 0.47 for a baseline of 25, and 0.04, 0.12, 0.18, 0.22, and 0.26 for a baseline of 20. The events avoided over 5 years with an IRLS reduction of 1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 points respectively were 1.12, 3.37, 5.62, 7.87, and 11.25 HCP visits, 0.09, 0.26, 0.43, 0.61, and 0.87 ER visits, and 0.04, 0.11, 0.18, 0.26, and 0.36 hospitalizations. Conclusion This exploratory analysis based on two health-economic studies confirms the substantial quality-of-life and healthcare cost burden associated with RLS. The data provide guidance on the magnitude of potential quality-of-life improvement and cost reduction that might be associated with defined improvement in RLS severity. Further investigation may be warranted for the factors that link change in IRLS and healthcare resource utilization, such as sleep deficits or cardiovascular risks. Support (If Any) Funding was provided by Noctrix Health

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