title: Restless legs syndrome in Chinese elderly people of an urban suburb in Shanghai: a community-based survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study is to investigate the prevalence rate of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in elderly Chinese people over 50 years of age in an urban suburb of Shanghai by a community-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 3-step survey was adopted including two telephone-based interviews and one face-to-face interview. We used questions based on four diagnostic criteria for RLS to perform the first telephone interview. The second telephone interview was performed by a sleep specialist to rule out the 'mimics' and secondary RLS. The final face-to-face interview was performed in the clinic for confirmation and examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 2609 inhabitants in the Wuli Bridge suburb of Shanghai who responded to the first telephone interview (men 68.55±10.13 years of age and women 65.34±10.52 years of age, mean±SD). Eighteen people were finally diagnosed with RLS. In this sample, the overall prevalence rate of RLS was about 0.69% (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.41-1.09).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study provided the first data about the prevalence rate of RLS in an urban suburb of Shanghai from mainland China, which is consistent with the low prevalence rate reported in other Asian countries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology & Institute of Neurology, Ruijin Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 197 Rd Ruijin Second, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Fang
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Liang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Ying-Jie
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dao-Yi
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Stanley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fahn
authors.forename: Hui-Dong
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Sheng-Di
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*