Restless Leg Syndrome in Type 2 Diabetics and its Association with Quality of Sleep

Author(s) : MahNoor Liaqat and Tehmina Nazir

Abstract:

Objective:
Restless leg Syndrome has adverse effects on sleep quality. The study intended to find out the incidence of Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) in Type-2 diabetic patients and its relationship with Quality of Sleep.
Material and Methods:
The population under study consisted of 203 patients attending three major hospitals in the city of Lahore, Pakistan. RLS was diagnosed by consulting the criteria defined by the “International Restless Legs Syndrome”. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale assessed the quality of sleep. Subjects were interviewed using these questionnaires to determine the presence, frequency & severity of RLS symptoms and their effect on the quality of their sleep.
Results:
Out of 203 patients, 66 were males, 137 were females. Present results revealed that RLS was present in 65% of patients. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) showed that 155 out of 203 participants were poor sleepers, and 48 were good sleepers. The disturbances in the sleep were found more among the patients with RLS than non-RLS (86.36% Vs 57.7%). A positive association was found between RLS and sleep quality.
Conclusion:
The findings of this study demonstrated that the occurrence of RLS was very high among diabetic patients, and RLS is strongly associated with poor quality of sleep.

Key Words: RLS, Diabetes, Sleep quality, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index