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Restless Legs Syndrome and Menopause

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Book cover Sleep Disorders in Women

Part of the book series: Current Clinical Neurology ((CCNEU))

Abstract

There is no known pathophysiologic link and little in the literature written about the association between menopause and restless legs syndrome (RLS). RLS is known to occur in middle-to-late aged individuals, having a higher prevalence in women. Following this line of logic, it would raise the question of whether there is a relationship between RLS and menopause. It has been reported that up to 69 % of woman complain of worsening of restless leg symptoms following menopause. Estrogens are thought to be neuroprotective and the reduction of it in menopause may lead to RLS. It may be that with the onset of menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes disrupting sleep, a preexisting sleep disorder such as RLS, may become more evident.

This chapter was originally composed by Nancy S. Collins MD, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, The Chicago Medical School, Department of Neurology, North Chicago, IL.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, NorthShore University HealthSystem, 2650 Ridge Avenue, Evanston, IL, 60201, USA

    Mari Viola-Saltzman

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  1. Mari Viola-Saltzman
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Correspondence to Mari Viola-Saltzman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Sleep Medicine, Northwestern University, N. Lake Shore Drive 710, Chicago, 60611, Illinois, USA

    Hrayr P. Attarian

  2. , Department of Neurology, NorthShore Univ. HealthSystem, Ridge Avenue 2650, Evanston, 60201, Illinois, USA

    Mari Viola-Saltzman

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Viola-Saltzman, M. (2013). Restless Legs Syndrome and Menopause. In: Attarian, H., Viola-Saltzman, M. (eds) Sleep Disorders in Women. Current Clinical Neurology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-324-4_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62703-324-4_17

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-62703-323-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-62703-324-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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