[Prevalence of restless legs syndrome at the office in primary health care]. / Prevalencia del síndrome de piernas inquietas en las consultas de atención primaria.

INTRODUCTION: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a usual neurologic disorder, often undiagnosed and treatable, usually associated with sleep disturbance. Our goal was to study prevalence of RLS in our practice. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Descriptive, cross-sectional study, in a Primary care center. 283 patients 50 years old or older, which come to the office for any reason, were evaluated with a questionnaire about the four essential criteria stated by the international RLS study group in 1995. RESULTS: Prevalence of RLS was 11.6% (95% CI: 7.9-15.3%). 73.5% were women and 26.5% men (ratio 3:1). Only 15% reported major repercussion in their quality of life, them we estimated that RLS clinically significant is present in 1.9% of our patients. By means of logistic regression only high number of consults at the office, daily sleepiness and use of hypnotics were associated to RLS. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of RLS in more than 50 years old patients is high: 11.6% but 1.9% of medically significant RLS. Must be suspected specially in women, frequent consultants or with sleep disorders in treatment with hypnotics.