Combination of Exercise Training and Dopamine Agonists in Patients with RLS on Dialysis: A Randomized, Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study.
Both exercise training and treatment with dopamine agonists (DA) have been used with success for the amelioration of uremic restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms. However, no data are available combining those two approaches. The aim of the current randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to investigate the effects of a 6 month intradialytic exercise training in combination with a low dose of DA in patients suffering from uremic RLS symptoms. Fourteen stable patients with RLS on hemodialysis were randomly assigned to the exercise training plus DA group and the exercise training plus placebo group. Both combinations were found to equally reduce uremic RLS symptoms by approximately 60%. The combination of low dose of DA with aerobic exercise training could be considered an alternative approach to high DA dosage regimes in reducing RLS symptoms' severity.
From the *Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus; †Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, ‡Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece; and §Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Christoforos D
CD
Giannaki
Giorgos K
GK
Sakkas
Christina
C
Karatzaferi
Maria D
MD
Maridaki
Yiannis
Y
Koutedakis
Georgios M
GM
Hadjigeorgiou
Ioannis
I
Stefanidis
D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012148:Restless Legs Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D014511:Uremia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
D018491:Dopamine Agonists