title: Restless legs syndrome in dialysis patients: a comparison between hemodialysis and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis.
abstract: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is common in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD). A few studies so far have investigated RLS prevalence in ESRD patients undergoing continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence, characteristics, consequences and predictors of RLS between HD and CAPD patients. We recruited 58 HD and 28 CAPD patients. A neurologist expert in sleep medicine performed RLS diagnosis during a face-to-face interview. The prevalence of RLS was slightly higher in HD than in CAPD patients (19 vs. 10.7%). RLS appeared after the onset of kidney complaint in HD patients; in contrast, in CAPD patients RLS preceded the occurrence of renal disease. Five HD patients reported that RLS symptoms occurred throughout the dialysis session. HD patients with RLS(+) had a higher mean number of HD sessions per week and a longer mean duration of HD session than the RLS(-) ones. Prevalence of females was significantly higher in CAPD patients with RLS(+) than in the RLS(-) ones. RLS frequently affects both HD and CAPD patients. RLS impaired sleep in both groups, but use of dopaminergic agents was uncommon in our sample. Dialysis schedule was associated with RLS in HD patients, while female sex was related to RLS in CAPD patients. Awareness concerning RLS identification and treatment in HD and CAPD patients is recommended.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Santa Maria della Misericordia University Hospital, Udine, Italy. merlinogiovanni.work@libero.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Merlino
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lorenzut
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sommaro
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fontana
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montanaro
authors.forename: Mariarosaria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Gian Luigi
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Gigli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010531:Peritoneal Dialysis, Continuous Ambulatory / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000009:adverse effects*; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult