Is Restless Legs Syndrome a Risk Factor for Parkinson’s?

Clinical Takeaway

: A retrospective cohort study supports this association.

Context

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) has been associated with an increased likelihood of developing Parkinson’s disease, but questions remain about whether RLS is a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease or an early manifestation of it. To explore this further, researchers conducted a large retrospective cohort study in Korea, involving 9900 people with RLS and a similar group without RLS.

Key Results

During 15 years of follow-up, Parkinson’s disease was diagnosed in 1.6% of the RLS group and 1.0% of the control group.
About one third of the RLS group received dopamine agonists. These patients had lower rates of Parkinson’s disease than the controls (0.5% vs. 1.0%) with a longer time to diagnosis — while the rest of the RLS group had higher rates …

Reviewing Author

Michael S. Okun, M.D.

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)