Earlier Mortality with Restless Legs Syndrome

Results from a Health Professionals Follow-up Study analysis support an association.

To examine the controversial notion that restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with increased mortality, researchers tracked mortality among 18,425 participants in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) who answered a standardized questionnaire about the potential presence of RLS. Patients with diabetes, arthritis, or renal failure were excluded. The investigators documented deaths comprehensively using vital statistics, the National Death Index, family reports, and the postal system.

A total of 2765 deaths occurred between 2002 and 2010. After adjustment for age, RLS was associated with a significant increase in mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 1.39). The association was mildly weakened after adjustment for factors such as body-m…

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America

Speaker’s BureauMedscape/WebMD CME, Movement Disorders Society CME, American Academy of Neurology CME

RoyaltiesBooks4Patients; Demos; Cambridge; Taylor and Francis; Robert Rose; Public Affairs

Grant/Research SupportNational Institutes of Health; Parkinson’s Foundation; Tourette Association of America; University of Florida Foundation

Editorial BoardsTremor and Other Hyperkinetic Movements; JAMA Neurology

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesParkinson’s Foundation (Medical Advisor)