Impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, and quality of life

• Published in: International journal of colorectal disease Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 125 - 130
• Main Authors: Schindlbeck, Katharina A., Becker, Janek, Berger, Felix, Mehl, Arne, Rewitzer, Charlotte, Geffe, Sarah, Koch, Peter M., Preiß, Jan C., Siegmund, Britta, Maul, Jochen, Marzinzik, Frank
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Care and treatment; Cognition; Demography; Depression, Mental; Fatigue; Fatigue - complications; Fatigue - physiopathology; Female; Gastroenterology; Hepatology; Humans; Inflammatory bowel disease; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - complications; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - physiopathology; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases - psychology; Internal Medicine; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Original Article; Proctology; Quality of Life; Restless legs syndrome; Restless Legs Syndrome - complications; Restless Legs Syndrome - physiopathology; Restless Legs Syndrome - psychology; Sleep; Sleep disorders; Surgery; Inflammatory bowel disease; Restless legs syndrome; Quality of life
• ISSN: 0179-1958; 1432-1262
• DOI: 10.1007/s00384-016-2681-8

Purpose Inflammatory bowel disease has been associated with neurological symptoms including restless legs syndrome. Here, we investigated the impact of restless legs syndrome in patients with inflammatory bowel disease on sleep, fatigue, mood, cognition, and quality of life. Methods Two groups of inflammatory bowel disease patients, with and without restless legs syndrome, were prospectively evaluated for sleep disorders, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life. Furthermore, global cognitive function, executive function, attention, and concentration were assessed in both groups. Disease activity and duration of inflammatory bowel disease as well as current medication were assessed by interview. Inflammatory bowel disease patients with and without restless legs syndrome were matched for age, education, severity, and duration of their inflammatory bowel disease. Results Patients with inflammatory bowel disease and clinically relevant restless leg syndrome suffered significantly more frequent from sleep disturbances including sleep latency and duration, more fatigue, and worse health-related quality of life as compared to inflammatory bowel disease patients without restless legs syndrome. Affect and cognitive function including cognitive flexibility, attention, and concentration showed no significant differences among groups, indicating to be not related to restless legs syndrome. Conclusions Sleep disorders including longer sleep latency, shorter sleep duration, and fatigue are characteristic symptoms of restless legs syndrome in inflammatory bowel disease patients, resulting in worse health-related quality of life. Therefore, clinicians treating patients with inflammatory bowel disease should be alert for restless legs syndrome.