Quality of life in patients with primary restless leg syndrome: community-based study

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.