Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is significantly more common in individuals with psoriasis, according to new findings.
The research was published in the International Journal of Dermatology.
RLS is associated with metabolic disorders, which led to the idea of looking for an association with psoriasis, the authors write.
For this cross-sectional study, researchers recruited 70 consecutive psoriasis patients and 70 controls without any skin disorder. The researchers used the International RLS Study Group (IRLSSG) diagnostic criteria to diagnose RLS, and the International RLS Rating Scale (IRLSRS) to evaluate symptom severity.
Each participant completed forms of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI).
Researchers found a frequency of RLS of 18.6% in patients with psoriasis, compared to 5.7% in the control group (p=0.018).
In the psoriasis patients, BMI, DLQI, and IRLSRS scores, and levels of hemoglobin, ferritin, c-reactive protein (CRP), and uric acid were significantly higher than in the controls.
Further, psoriasis patients with RLS had significantly higher PASI, DLQI, PSQI and IRLSRS scores, CRP level and BMI, and significantly lower hemoglobin levels, than the psoriasis patients without RLS.
PASI score was the sole independent associate of RLS presence in psoriasis patients.
“The presence of RLS in these patients is associated with more severe psoriasis, more severe systemic inflammation, lower serum hemoglobin values, worse quality of life and poorer sleep quality,” the authors write in their conclusion.
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