Is There A Relationship Between RLS And Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Restless Leg Syndrome is a distressing condition of the legs that is temporarily relieved by movement of the legs. The relationship between RLS and rheumatoid arthritis can be assessed from research that was conducted on three groups of patients. The first group comprised 70 consecutive cases of definite or classical rheumatoid arthritis admitted to the hospital. The group had 10 men and 60 women with a mean age of 59 years. The second group included 30 patients (4 men and 26 women) of osteoarthritis. Most of them were suffering from osteoarthritis of hips or knees and immobility, with a mean age of 68 years. The third group had 70 normal controls from the general population with rheumatoid arthritis. The age and sex of the patients in the group were matched.

The dysesthetic symptoms of RLS were evaluated in the group using standard questionnaire. Further, subjects related with such symptoms were also examined to eliminate clinically apparent polyneuropathy. Since RLS is a period condition, it was assessed whether any symptoms existed in the preceding year.

The group having rheumatoid disease was investigated for the number of inflamed joints, morning stiffness and acute phase response to inflammation (C reactive protein and erythrocyte sediment rate). Result of the analysis was determined through statistical methods. The findings of the research revealed that the prevalence of RLS was higher in the group with rheumatoid arthritis as compared to the osteoarthritis and control group. The patients with osteoarthritis and the control group showed no considerable difference.

Interestingly, the facts showed that all the patients showing symptoms of RLS were women. Further, the studies suggested that eight patients suffering from the symptoms lost an hour’s sleep everyday. Fourteen patients had sought medical opinion about dysesthesia. In the group with rheumatoid arthritis, there was no relation between the existence of symptoms within the previous year, or during questioning and laboratory or clinical index of the disease activity. Moreover, the patients of rheumatoid arthritis showing RLS symptoms could separate their synaesthesia from pain and stiffness of joints.

Finally, it was observed that the prevalence of RLS among the rheumatoid arthritis patients in the hospital was as high as 30%, far above the percentage found with the other two groups.