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Restless legs syndrome/Willis–Ekbom disease prevalence in beta thalassemia patients

Sleep and Breathing volume 22, pages 175–179 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Both beta thalassemia and restless legs syndrome (RLS) patients share some common pathophysiological characteristics related to iron handling. In the present study, the aim was to explore the prevalence of RLS as well as to explore potential association between the syndrome and various quality of life-related parameters in a sample of beta thalassemia patients.

Methods

One hundred fourteen (age 40 ± 11 yr, 59 M/55F) beta thalassemia patients participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Patients were screened for RLS based on the international RLS study group diagnostic criteria as well as a battery of validated questionnaires.

Results

The prevalence of RLS in this sample of beta thalassemia patients was zero. The quality of life score was low (78 ± 18). Iron levels were within normal range (191 ± 66 mcg/dL) while ferritin levels were high as expected (1836 ± 225 ng/dL).

Conclusions

Our sample of patients comes from central Greece where the prevalence of RLS in the general population is 4% while in renal failure patients is 27%. To our surprise, there was no presence of RLS among this sample of beta thalassemia patients. The adequate levels of iron and ferritin often seen in these patients could be the reason of the absence of RLS symptoms.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all the patients who participated in the current study as well as the medical and nursing staff of the hematology unit of the General Hospital of Trikala, Larissa, and Karditsa.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Haematology, General Hospital of Trikala, Trikala, Greece

    Euthimia Dimitriadou

  2. Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

    Christoforos D. Giannaki

  3. Department of PE and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece

    Maria Tsekoura, Christina Karatzaferi & Giorgos K. Sakkas

  4. School of Health Science, Department of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece

    Ioannis Stefanidis & Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou

  5. Department of Medical Radiological Technologists, Technological Education Institute of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Eleftherios Lavdas

  6. Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, School of Sport and Health Science, University of St Mark and St John, Derriford Rd, PL68BH, Plymouth, UK

    Christina Karatzaferi & Giorgos K. Sakkas

Authors
  1. Euthimia Dimitriadou
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  2. Christoforos D. Giannaki
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  3. Maria Tsekoura
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  4. Ioannis Stefanidis
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  5. Georgios M. Hadjigeorgiou
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  6. Eleftherios Lavdas
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  7. Christina Karatzaferi
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  8. Giorgos K. Sakkas
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Giorgos K. Sakkas.

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No funding was received for this research.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Cite this article

Dimitriadou, E., Giannaki, C.D., Tsekoura, M. et al. Restless legs syndrome/Willis–Ekbom disease prevalence in beta thalassemia patients. Sleep Breath 22, 175–179 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-017-1497-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11325-017-1497-2

Keywords

  • Anemia
  • Iron
  • Ferritin
  • Sleep disorders

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