Session Information
Date: Sunday, October 7, 2018
Session Title: Restless Legs Syndrome and Other Sleep Disorders
Session Time: 1:45pm-3:15pm
Location: Hall 3FG
Objective: To evaluate incidence and characteristics of seasonal fluctuation in a Chinese cohort of patients with idiopathic RLS in order to differentiate possible subtypes and facilitate optimal treatment.
Background: Seasonal variation of the urge to move and uncomfortableness of legs and/or other parts of the body is commonly described by patients with Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). There is limited data on seasonal fluctuation in RLS.
Methods: Patients who met the diagnostic criteria of idiopathic RLS were enrolled from our Movement Disorders Clinic during Jul 2014 to Dec 2016 by face to face interview. Demographic variables, RLS symptom and severity, seasonal trends as well as other clinical profiles were evaluated and recorded. The findings of RLS patients with and without seasonal trends were compared.
Results: A total of 164 idiopathic RLS patients were included in the study. 55/164 (33.5%) RLS patients reported their symptoms of leg discomfort fluctuated with seasonal or weather variation. Among them, 20 patients reported worsening of symptoms in summer/warm environment, 21 patients reported their RLS symptoms exacerbated in winter/cold environment, others described exacerbation of their symptoms when weather changing or couldn’t tell the exact pattern. RLS patients with seasonal fluctuation had a relatively earlier onset of RLS symptoms compared to those without (35.7±14.4 vs 40.5±13.8, P<0.05). While age, gender, duration of RLS, RLS family history, severity and symmetry of RLS symptom, clinical course of RLS (chronic-persistent or intermittent RLS), incidence of anxiety and depression, latitude, as well as serum levels of iron, ferritin and transferrin were not significantly different in RLS patients with and without seasonal trends (P>0.05).
Conclusions: RLS symptoms are frequently reported to be fluctuated with seasonal trends. A detailed history is necessary for subsequent therapeutic strategies.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
XY. Zhu, LY. Ni, Y. Liu, XJ. Zhang, WH. Yang, YC. Wu. Seasonal Fluctuation in a Chinese cohort of patients with idiopathic Restless Legs Syndrome [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2018; 33 (suppl 2). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/seasonal-fluctuation-in-a-chinese-cohort-of-patients-with-idiopathic-restless-legs-syndrome/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2018 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/seasonal-fluctuation-in-a-chinese-cohort-of-patients-with-idiopathic-restless-legs-syndrome/