
Correlation of Anaemia and Restless Legs Syndrome in Elderly: A Cross-sectional Study
Author(s) -
Abhijit Agrawal,
Jahnabi Bhagawati,
Sunil Kumar
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of clinical and diagnostic research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2249-782X
pISSN - 0973-709X
DOI - 10.7860/jcdr/2020/45715.14368
Subject(s) - restless legs syndrome , medicine , cross sectional study , ferritin , pediatrics , correlation , iron deficiency , disease , physical therapy , rating scale , population , anemia , psychology , psychiatry , neurology , pathology , developmental psychology , geometry , mathematics , environmental health
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) also known as Willis Ekbom Disease (WED) which manifests as a neurologic disorder among patients with anaemia, particularly with iron deficiency anaemia. Aim: To find the association of anaemia with RLS in the elderly population. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 100 patients of age ≥60 years were enrolled and categorised into mild, moderate, and severe anaemia as per World Health Organisation (WHO) criteria. Every participant was enquired about RLS via a questionnaire based on the International RLS Study Group Rating Scale (IRLSSGRS) for its Severity and for the diagnosis (Essential clinical criteria for the diagnosis of RLS). Results: The study showed that patients with anaemia had a statistically significant correlation with RLS (p=0.04) and severity of RLS (p=0.032). Serum ferritin levels too showed a statistically significant correlation with RLS (p=0.032). Conclusion: Patients with severe anaemia and lower serum ferritin levels were more prone to RLS and had more RLS severity.