title: Restless legs syndrome in stroke patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with cerebrovascular risk factors, but its possible association with cerebrovascular disease has yielded conflicting results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This was a case-control, in-hospital study to evaluate the association between RLS and acute stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated patients hospitalized with acute stroke/TIA and an age and gender 2:1 frequency-matched control group, for the presence of RLS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-two of 149 patients (15%) and 10 of 298 controls (3%) suffered from RLS (p <0.0001). A multivariate logistic regression model employing cerebrovascular risk factors as predictors, that is, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and body mass index (BMI), determined that stroke/TIA was significantly associated with RLS with odds ratio for RLS among patients with stroke/TIA versus controls of 7.60 (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.07-27.87; p = 0.002). Another multivariate logistic regression model adjusting for possible RLS risk factors, that is, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, BMI, anemia, and reduced renal function, determined that stroke/TIA was significantly associated with RLS with odds ratio of 6.85 (95% CI: 6.85-1.79; p = 0.005). Stepwise logistic regression with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, BMI, anemia, and reduced renal function as potential predictors revealed that only stroke/TIA predicted RLS with similar odds ratio to the RLS-based multivariate model of 6.54 (95% CI: 2.63-16.27; p <0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Examining stroke patients while in hospital allowed us to conclude that RLS and acute stroke/TIA are significantly associated. However, the cross-sectional design did not allow for the determination of a causative relationship between the two.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel; Technion Faculty of Medicine, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: i_schles@rambam.health.gov.il.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schlesinger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Erikh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nassar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sprecher
mesh_terms: D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000150:complications; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications*