Abstract Details

Describe characteristics of patients diagnosed with RLS at University of Washington Medicine. Analyze comorbidities of RLS in this patient cohort.

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder that is likely under-diagnosed. RLS is characterized by an often unpleasant or uncomfortable urge to move the legs that occurs during periods of inactivity, particularly in the evenings, and is transiently relieved by movement. It is associated with significant morbidity, and early recognition and management can have a profound impact on quality of life.

The Leaf research database was used to obtain retrospective data for all patients with ICD-9 or ICD-10 code diagnosis for restless leg syndrome (using ICD-9 333.94 and ICD-10 G25.81) at the University of Washington Medicine, a large academic health care provider. Demographics, employment and insurance were analyzed in this patient population. Sub-analysis for comorbidities was performed.

Restless leg patients (N=12,192) had female predominance with 63.5% (N=7,747) female patients. A slight majority of the patients were younger than 65 years old, 53.65% (n=6,541). Psychiatric comorbid conditions included depressive disorders (47.9%), anxiety disorders (22.7%), tobacco use disorders (15.6%), alcohol abuse (7.4%), opioid dependence (7.3%) and cannabis use (4.8%). Other comorbidities we looked at included hypertension (55.2%), insomnia (35.8%), diabetes (25%), and migraine (15.7%). Of note, 27% of RLS patients had commercial insurance. 22% were fully employed; 27.8% were unemployed and 31.7 % were retired.

Patients diagnosed with restless leg syndrome have a significant co-morbidity burden, high rates of depression anxiety, and substance use disorders. We found also high comorbidity of hypertension, insomnia, diabetes and migraine. Pathophysiological concepts of comorbidities have yet to be identified. RLS patients have a lower rate of employment compared to the general population, demonstrating the functional impact of the disorder or its comorbidities.