Health-related quality of life and restless legs syndrome among women in Sweden.
OBJECTIVE
Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological movement disorder with a female preponderance, an increasing prevalence with age and comorbidity. Previous studies on the relationship between health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and RLS are still sparse but knowledge is increasing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the unique impact of RLS on HRQOL in a population-based sample.


METHODS
A random sample of 5000 women aged 25-64 years was selected from the general Swedish population. The women were sent diagnostic questions on RLS together with the Short Form 12 (SF-12) questionnaire for assessment of physical and mental HRQOL. The unique burden of RLS on HRQOL was analyzed by excluding RLS-positive women from four self-reported diagnostic groups (diabetes, depression, heart problems, muscle and joint pain) and by excluding subjects with these diagnoses from the group of RLS-positive women.


RESULTS
Compared with mental SF-12 scores for the RLS-negative women in our population, mental HRQOL of the RLS sample in our study was lower in every age group but not significantly lower in the age group 35-44 years. Physical SF-12 scores for RLS-positive women were also below scores for RLS-negative women in every age group but significance was only found in women between 45 and 54 years. A unique burden of RLS on HRQOL remained after statistical adjustment for comorbidities.


CONCLUSIONS
RLS-positive women had an impaired mental HRQOL compared to RLS-negative women in the studied population. The physical aspects of HRQOL were less affected among RLS-positive women. The impaired well-being among women with RLS further strengthens the importance of identifying women with this condition and evaluating their need for medication or other actions in order to improve their quality of life.
Wesström
Jan
J
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. jan.wesstrom@ltdalarna.se
Nilsson
Staffan
S
Sundström-Poromaa
Inger
I
Ulfberg
Jan
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D015897:Comorbidity; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology