Restless leg syndrome in rheumatic conditions: Its prevalence and risk factors, a meta‐analysis

Abstract Introduction Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is a neurological disorder characterized by an uncontrollable desire to move legs along with abnormal sensations, particularly at night, which can lead to sleep disturbance. RLS may mimic rheumatic diseases or can be associated with them, hence their identification and treatment are important to improve sleep quality and overall quality of life in rheumatic diseases. Methods We conducted a search of the PubMed, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases to identify studies reporting a prevalence of RLS in patients with rheumatic disease. Two authors independently screened, selected, and extracted the data. Heterogeneity was assessed using I 2 statistics and random effect method of the meta‐analysis was used to synthesize the results. Results Out of 273 unique records, 17 eligible studies including 2406 rheumatic patients were identified. RLS prevalence (95% CI) among patients of rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia and ankylosing spondylitis are found to be 26.6% (18.6 34.6); 32.5% (23.1–41.9), 4.4% (2.0–6.8), 38.1% (31.3–45.0) and 30.8% (23.48–39.16) respectively. RLS prevalence was similar for males and females. Conclusion Our study indicates a high prevalence of RLS in patients with rheumatic diseases. Early detection and treatment of RLS in patients with rheumatic conditions could be beneficial in improving their overall health and quality of life.