Restless legs syndrome in Egyptian medical students using a validated Arabic version of the Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale.

OBJECTIVE

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common movement disorder that has a variable prevalence and impact reported from different countries and specific populations. The current study validated an Arabic version of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) rating scale (IRLS) and investigated the prevalence and impact of RLS in medical students at Ain Shams University in Cairo.

METHODS

Translation of IRLS was done according to standard recognized guidelines provided by the publisher. A total of 389 medical students (217 female and 172 male) participated in the study and answered four questions to detect RLS as proposed by the IRLSSG. Subjects who answered positively the first three questions were recruited for face-to-face interview to exclude RLS mimics and to answer the IRLS.

RESULTS

A total of 46 subjects (11.8%; 27 female and 19 male) met the four criteria for RLS. Of these, 39 subjects (10%) had idiopathic RLS. Five subjects (1.3%) and two subjects (0.5%) reported association with history of anemia and diabetes mellitus respectively. Their mean total IRLS score was 16.33 ± 5.3, with moderate severity (11.62 ± 3.9) and low impact (3.1 ± 1.8). The prevalence of individuals who had two or more episodes of RLS of at least moderate severity per week was 5.9%.

CONCLUSION

In this specific population of Egyptian medical students, a within-average prevalence of RLS was found with low impact on quality of life similar to worldwide reported populations. RLS sufferers were of high prevalence among this cohort. The Arabic version of IRLS is reliable and valid for further research in Arabic countries.