Restless legs syndrome and cardiovascular diseases: A case-control study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Cardiology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• The relationship between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) including hypertension remains unclear.
• Previous studies show inconsistent associations, necessitating further investigation with robust control for confounding factors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between primary RLS, CVD, and hypertension, accounting for potential confounders.
• To determine the influence of RLS duration, severity, treatment, sleep, and depressive symptoms on CVD and hypertension in primary RLS patients.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 487 primary RLS patients and 354 controls using a standardized questionnaire.
• Data collected included RLS phenotype, history of CVD and hypertension, sleep and depressive symptoms, and demographic/clinical features.
• CVD events included coronary heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmia, or stroke; hypertension was self-assessed.

Main Results:

• After adjusting for age, sex, and body mass index, no significant association was found between primary RLS and CVD or hypertension.
• Patients with RLS and CVD/hypertension were older and had higher rates of hypercholesterolemia and sleep apnea.
• Older age at RLS onset was associated with comorbid CVD or hypertension, but other RLS features were not significant.

Conclusions:

• Most treated primary RLS patients do not show an association with CVD and hypertension when key confounders are controlled.
• Cardiovascular comorbidities in RLS patients are more strongly linked to traditional cardiovascular risk factors than to RLS-specific characteristics.
• Older age at onset is a potential factor associated with comorbidities in primary RLS.