Restless Legs Syndrome Sometimes Goes with Fibromyalgia

In people with the restless legs syndrome (RLS), there is an urge to move the legs, especially at night in bed, sometimes accompanied by an uncomfortable sensation deep within the legs.  Awareness of the condition has increased lately, an aspect sometimes laid at the door of pharmaceutical companies, as an example of ‘disease-mongering’.  

Fibromyalgia, which is diagnosed in 5 million Americans (90% of them women), is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain in muscles, ligaments and tendons, as well as fatigue and multiple tender points in the body.

A study from Loyola University, Illinois, reported in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, has shown a high prevalence of RLS in fibromyalgia patients.  It included data from 172 patients with fibromyalgia who met the diagnostic criteria for the condition; 93% of them were women, and their average age was 50.  A further 63 individuals who were free of pain or fatigue served as a control group.  The participants in the study reported RLS, using a validated diagnostic telephone interview.

Patients with fibromyalgia had a greater incidence of RLS than controls – 33% vs. 3.1%.  After adjusting for age, sex, marriage status, education, employment status, and income, the odds of RLS being reported in fibromyalgia patients were 11.2 times greater than in control subjects.  The patients with fibromyalgia and RLS had significantly worse sleep quality than those with fibromyalgia but no RLS, based on recognized sleep quality questionnaires.

Once again, this type of study can only report associations, not cause-and-effect relationships.  However, the findings suggest that physicians should routinely question fibromyalgia patients about RLS symptoms, as treatment can potentially improve sleep and quality-of-life in such patients.

Comments

[Winstrol]

There should be more articles like this one on the web. Very well written, lots of useful information. Greetings and thanks for sharing.