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Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Restless legs syndrome epidemiology and demographics

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Epidemiology and Demographics

Epidemiology and Demographics

Prevalence

In community-based epidemiological surveys, RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) has been studied as:[1]

  1. A symptom only
    • In this kind of symptoms ,prevalence estimates in the general adult population ranged from 9400 to 1500 per 100,000 individuals worldwide.
  2. A set of symptoms meeting minimal diagnostic criteria of the IRLSSG
    • In this kind of symptoms ,prevalence estimates in the general adult population ranged from 3900 to 1400 per 100,000 individuals worldwide.
  • When frequency/severity is added, prevalence ranged from 2.2% to 7.9% and when differential diagnosis is applied prevalence estimates are between 1.9% and 4.6%. In all instances, RLS prevalence is higher in women than in men.

Age

  • The incidence of RLS increases with age.[2]

Race

  • RLS usually affects individuals of the non-African American race. African American race individuals are less likely to develop RLS.[3]

Gender

  • Women are more commonly affected by RLS than men.[1] The women to men ratio is approximately 2 to 1.[2]

Region

  • The worldwide prevalence of RLS is not clear, however, it appears that Asian countries have a lower prevalence of RLS than European and North American countries.[1]
References

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Ohayon MM, O’Hara R, Vitiello MV (2012). “Epidemiology of restless legs syndrome: a synthesis of the literature”. Sleep Med Rev. 16 (4): 283–95. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2011.05.002. PMC 3204316. PMID 21795081.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Berger K, Luedemann J, Trenkwalder C, John U, Kessler C (2004). “Sex and the risk of restless legs syndrome in the general population”. Arch Intern Med. 164 (2): 196–202. doi:10.1001/archinte.164.2.196. PMID 14744844.
  3. ↑ Alkhazna A, Saeed A, Rashidzada W, Romaker AM (2014). “Racial differences in the prevalence of restless legs syndrome in a primary care setting”. Hosp Pract (1995). 42 (3): 131–7. doi:10.3810/hp.2014.08.1127. PMID 25255415.

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Mohamadmostafa Jahansouz M.D.[2]