Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 11, 2025

Imaging Features of Systemic Sclerosis-Associated Interstitial Lung Disease
Published on: June 16, 2020
Restless legs syndrome: A new comorbidity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Francesco Varone1, Ludovica Friello1, Chiara Di Blasi1
1Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, UOC Pneumologia, Rome, Italy.
Objective:
Sleep disorders have a high prevalence among patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) is not known in these patients, neither is its clinical impact as a comorbidity. We investigated the association of RLS with IPF and characterized the clinical features of RLS in a cohort of IPF patients.
Methods:
Fifty patients with diagnosis of IPF were prospectively enrolled. RLS was diagnosed using the validated 5-item RLS criteria. Sleep quality was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The prevalence of RLS in the IPF group was compared to that observed in a group of 293 patients referred for suspect of sleep disorders. The relationships between RLS and clinical parameters were determined using multivariate logistic regression.
Results:
Prevalence of RLS in the IPF group was significantly higher than in the control population of patients referred for sleep disorders (IPF: 24%, controls 10%: χ2 6.49, p = 0.011). Higher PSQI score confirmed to be associated with RLS after adjusting for demographics and clinical parameters of disease severity (OR = 1.38, 95%CI 1.08-1.76; p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
RLS is highly prevalent in IPF and significantly worsen sleep quality in these patients. The benefit/risk ratio of a specific therapeutic intervention for RLS in IPF should be assessed in further prospective research.
More Related Videos
04:53Author Spotlight: Traditional Chinese Medicine for Sleep Disorders in Acute COPD — A Safe, Cost-Effective Approach
Published on: October 18, 2024
07:11Establishment and Validation of a Rat Model of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Associated with Pulmonary Fibrosis
Published on: May 23, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors
The exact cause of RLS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate muscle movement. Imbalances in dopamine levels...
Cardiomyopathy IV: Restrictive Cardiomyopathy
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...
Peripheral Arterial Disease II: Clinical Manifestations and Diagnostic Evaluation
Pulmonary Embolism I: Introduction
Other Pulmonary Disorders