Restless legs syndrome in hemodialysis patients in India: a case controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in Indian patients on hemodialysis as compared to controls.


METHODS
One hundred and twenty-one consecutive hemodialysis patients and 99 controls were evaluated using a standard predesigned questionnaire. The control group comprised completely normal healthy adults who were being evaluated as renal donors. Nerve conduction studies were done in those patients diagnosed with RLS.


RESULTS
RLS was present in eight hemodialysis patients (6.6%) and none of the controls. Patients (87.5%) with RLS had delayed sleep onset. Nerve conduction showed evidence of sensori-motor neuropathy in five patients and a normal study in one patient. When we compared the patients with RLS to those without RLS, there was no significant difference in their age, duration of hemodialysis, hemoglobin, blood urea, creatinine, serum ferritin or use of erythropoeitin.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of RLS was 6.6% in patients on hemodialysis; and 0% in controls, which is much lower than that reported from the West.
Department of Nephrology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 110029, New Delhi, India.
Dipankar
D
Bhowmik
Manvir
M
Bhatia
Sanjay
S
Gupta
Sanjay K
SK
Agarwal
Suresh C
SC
Tiwari
Suresh C
SC
Dash
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires