Association between Cerebrovascular Disease and Restless Legs Syndrome
Cenk Murat Ünverdi, Kemal Tutkavul, Hülya TireliDepartment of Neurology, Haydarpasa Numune Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences Türkiye, Hamidiye Medical Faculty, Istanbul, TürkiyeINTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) may increase the risk of developing cerebrovascular disease. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) may present with clinically overt stroke. We aimed to determine whether RLS, when combined with other cardiovascular risk factors, caused an increase in CSVD burden in patients with a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or minor ischemic stroke (MIS).
METHODS: Patients who were hospitalized with TIA or MIS were interviewed, and RLS was assessed using the diagnostic criteria defined in 2014 by the International RLS Study Group. One hundred nine patients were divided into two groups: those with and without RLS (n=30 and n=79, respectively). The demographics and stroke risk factors of the patients, along with the severity (International RLS Study Group Rating Scale (IRLSRS) scores) and duration of RLS (months) in the group with RLS, were recorded. CSVD burden was measured using neuroimaging at diagnosis via the Age-Related White Matter Changes (ARWMC) rating scale and compared between the two groups.
RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of demographics and stroke risk factors, but ARWMC scores were found to be significantly higher in the RLS group (p<0.001). There was no correlation between IRLSRS scores and ARWMC scores; however, a significant correlation was found between the duration of RLS and ARWMC scores in the RLS group (p=0.033).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The presence and duration of RLS may be an independent propensity factor for CSVD in patients with TIA or MIS.
Manuscript Language: English