Clinical Characteristics and Pathophysiological Features of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS): Recent Advances and Future Challenges
K. V. Charan Reddy *
Department of Internal Medicine, MGM Medical College & Hospital, Kamothe, Navi Mumbai, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)/Willi’s-Ekbom disease (WED) or Jimmy Legs is a neurological sensory-motor disorder that causes intense restlessness and unpleasant creepy-crawly feelings inside the lower legs at rest. It can be primary (idiopathic) or secondary (symptomatic) and affects 7-10% of general population with a significant female predominance. RLS is generally associated with conditions like iron deficiency, low serum ferritin levels, pregnancy, menopause, chronic renal disease, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease and rheumatoid arthritis etc, however, the relationship is not completely understood. In this review, I discussed recent developments on epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis and clinical management of RLS.
Keywords: Periodic limb movements, restless legs syndrome, sleep, dopamine, levodopa, pramipexole, dopamine agonists