Prevalence and associated factors of restless legs in a 57-year-old urban population in northern Finland

• Published in: Acta neurologica Scandinavica Vol. 122; no. 1; pp. 63 - 69
• Main Authors: Juuti, A. K., Läärä, E., Rajala, U., Laakso, M., Härkönen, P., Keinänen-Kiukaanniemi, S., Hiltunen, L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2010; Blackwell
• Subjects: antidepressant medication; Biological and medical sciences; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; coronary heart disease; daytime sleepiness; depression; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - epidemiology; Female; Finland - epidemiology; Glucose Tolerance Test; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Prevalence; restless legs; Restless Legs Syndrome - diagnosis; Restless Legs Syndrome - epidemiology; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; type 2 diabetes; Finland; Endocrinopathy; Mood disorder; Type 2 diabetes; Nervous system diseases; Prevalence; daytime sleepiness; Metabolic diseases; Cardiovascular disease; Depression; Coronary heart disease; Chemotherapy; Treatment; antidepressant medication; restless legs
• ISSN: 0001-6314; 1600-0404
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0404.2009.01262.x

Juuti AK, Läärä E, Rajala U, Laakso M, Härkönen P, Keinänen‐Kiukaanniemi S, Hiltunen L. Prevalence and associated factors of restless legs in a 57‐year‐old urban population in northern Finland.
Acta Neurol Scand: 2010: 122: 63–69.
© 2009 The Authors Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Munksgaard. Objective –  We examined the prevalence and associated factors of restless legs syndrome (RLS) in a 57‐year‐old unselected urban population in northern Finland. Methods –  A health survey was conducted in 2002 that targeted persons born in 1945 and residing in the city of Oulu on 31 December, 2001. Their history of RLS, coronary heart disease (CHD), daytime sleepiness, depressive symptoms and snoring was assessed by means of questionnaires. Results –  Altogether 995 of 1332 eligible subjects (74%) participated (556 women, 439 men). The overall prevalence of RLS ≥ 1 per week was 20% in women and 15% in men. In the fitted multiple logistic regression model, RLS was found to be associated with female gender (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.98–2.72), CHD (OR 2.92, 95% CI 1.18–7.23), daytime sleepiness (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.32–3.41), moderately elevated (31–45) or high (46–65) Zung sum scores (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.09–3.48 and OR 3.67, 95% CI 1.71–7.90, respectively), antidepressant medication (OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.06–4.19) and arthropathy (OR 1.69, 95% CI 1.04–2.72). Insufficient evidence was found of an association between RLS and type 2 diabetes or impaired glucose regulation. Conclusions –  Restless legs syndrome is fairly common in subjects aged 57 years. A particularly strong positive association was observed between RLS and depressive symptoms and CHD.