RESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is characterized by an irresistible urge to move, with or without paraesthesia occurring or worsening at rest and relieved by activity. Only a few reports of prevalence of RLS with type 2 diabetes are available in India. AIMS: To estimate the occurrence and risk factors of RLS among Indian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. METHOD: This cross-sectional study was done in consecutive adult patients with type 2 diabetes. Demographic and comorbidity profile were collected. RLS diagnosis was made based on revised international RLS study group (IRLSSG) criteria. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten diabetic patients were interviewed. Mean age was 56⯱â¯13.5â¯years. Male-female ratio was 139: 71. Mean duration of diabetes was 8.3â¯years. Treatment received for diabetes included oral hypoglycaemic agents (153 patients) and insulin (85 patients). Forty-five patients had polyneuropathy, 18 had retinopathy and 22 had nephropathy. Majority (103) of subjects reported their bedtime as 9-10â¯pm. Average sleep duration was 8.4â¯h per night. RLS was diagnosed in 17 (8%) subjects. Mean sleep onset in subjects with RLS was 56â¯min versus 29â¯min in diabetics without RLS (p-0.01). The mean Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was 5 in RLS and 3.3 in non-RLS patients (p-0.01). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: RLS resulted in poor sleep quality and affected overall quality of life in diabetics. As poor sleep is a known risk factor for uncontrolled diabetes, early identification and treatment of RLS would help improve glycaemic control and quality of life in these patients.