The impact of restless legs syndrome/ willis-ekbom disorder on quality of life

Restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis-Ekbom Disorder (WED), is a condition associated with nocturnal sensorimotor symptoms that can result in significant sleep disruption. RLS is a prevalent condition, affecting an estimated 3.9-14.3% of the US population. Despite the most recently reported prevalence studies, many experts in the field still believe RLS is a generally underdiagnosed condition. RLS can negatively affect a patient's quality of life (QoL) across several domains, such as daytime sleepiness, decreased general health, decreased immune function, stress and mood. Of those patients with moderate-to-severe symptoms that require treatment, the currently available therapeutic options (e.g. iron supplements, dopamine agonists, benzodiazepines, opioids and anticonvulsants) can also come with adverse side effects that can further impact QoL. The purpose of this article is to examine the QoL deficits experienced by RLS patients.