Abstract
Background Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is more prevalent in chronic kidney patients than in the general population, but it is often diagnosed late and its predictors are unknown. Purpose To diagnose RLS in a group of chronic kidney patients on dialysis, determine its frequency and severity, compare the prevalence and severity of the condition among dialytic modalities, and identify possible predictive factors in this population. Methods An observational and cross-sectional study with 326 patients who had been on dialysis for more than 3 months, 241 on hemodialysis (HD) and 85 on automatic peritoneal dialysis (APD), using the criteria established by the International Study Group on RLS for the diagnosis and the RLS Rating Scale to determine its severity. Results RLS was diagnosed in 19.3% of the patients, 52.4% with severe or very severe forms. Patients with and without RLS did not differ in clinical and demographic characteristics and dialytic modality; however, patients on APD presented higher RLS severity compared to the HD group. Conclusions RLS is frequent in dialysis patients and occurs predominantly in its most severe forms; the dialytic modality seems to have no influence on its occurrence; however, it is more severe in patients on APD.
Highlights
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is characterized by discomfort, usually in the legs, that causes an overwhelming, irresistible urge to move them, a need that is usually due to unpleasant sensations that worsen during periods of inactivity and that frequently compromises the patient’s sleep [1]
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common disease in dialysis patients and occurs predominantly in its most severe forms and should be investigated early and routinely in these patients, in order to apply the known effective therapeutic measures and prevent its well described negative outcomes
The dialytic modality does not seem to influence the occurrence of RLS and we did not identify other factors independently associated with it in this population
Summary
Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is characterized by discomfort, usually in the legs, that causes an overwhelming, irresistible urge to move them, a need that is usually due to unpleasant sensations that worsen during periods of inactivity and that frequently compromises the patient’s sleep [1]. It is often diagnosed late, especially when the symptoms are mild or nonspecific [2]. To diagnose RLS in a group of chronic kidney patients on dialysis, determine its frequency and severity, compare the prevalence and severity of the condition among dialytic modalities, and identify possible predictive factors in this population. RLS is frequent in dialysis patients and occurs predominantly in its most severe forms; the dialytic modality seems to have no influence on its occurrence; it is more severe in patients on APD
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