title: Impact of short daily hemodialysis on restless legs symptoms and sleep disturbances.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Restless legs syndrome (RLS) and sleep disturbances are common among in-center hemodialysis patients and are associated with increased morbidity/mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  The FREEDOM study is an ongoing prospective cohort study investigating the benefits of home short daily hemodialysis (SDHD) (6 times/week). In this interim report, we examine the long-term effect of SDHD on the prevalence and severity of RLS, as measured by the International Restless Legs Syndrome (IRLS) Study Group rating scale, and sleep disturbances, as measured by the Medical Outcomes Study sleep survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  235 participants were included in this report (intention-to-treat cohort), of which 127 completed the 12-month follow-up (per-protocol cohort). Mean age was 52 years, 55% had an arteriovenous fistula, and 40% suffered from RLS. In the per-protocol analysis, among patients with RLS, the mean IRLS score improved significantly at month 12, after adjustment for use of RLS-related medications (18 versus 11). Among patients with moderate-to-severe RLS (IRLS score ≥15), there was an even greater improvement in the IRLS score (23 versus 13). The intention-to-treat analysis yielded similar results. Over 12 months, there was decline in the percentage of patients reporting RLS (35% versus 26%) and those reporting moderate-to-severe RLS (59% versus 43%). There was a similar and sustained 12-month improvement in several scales of the sleep survey, after adjustment for presence of RLS and use of anxiolytics and hypnotics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Home SDHD is associated with long-term improvement in the prevalence and severity of RLS and sleep disturbances.
authors.affiliation: St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts 02135, USA. bertrand.jaber@caritaschristi.org
authors.forename: Bertrand L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Jaber
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Burkart
authors.forename: Rachid
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Daoui
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Yoojin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Brent W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Teitelbaum
authors.forename: Amy W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Fredric O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*