Restless Legs Syndrome, Sleep, Fatigue and Mental Health in Patients with Cardiova- scular Diseases

Abstract

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sleep disorder which is associated with sleep disruption and poor quality of life. It is often found to be a comorbid condition in individuals having cardiovascular diseases (CVD). The purpose of the current study was to find out the frequency of RLS among CVD patients and to examine its relationship with sleep, fatigue, and mental health in these patients. Methods: It was a cross-sectional study. A convenience sample of 200 CVD patients with age range between 35-65 years (55.49 + 7.67) was taken from Jinnah hospital and Gulab Devi hospital, Lahore. The patients completed the fatigue severity scale (FSS), general health questionnaire12 (GHQ-12), sleep problems scale and restless legs syndrome scale. Results: The results indicated that 14% of the CVD patients had RLS. Presence of RLS was associated with greater fatigue, poor sleep, and mental health. A multivariate general linear model using the Wilks’ lambda test found RLS, BMI, and CVD duration as significant predictors (p < .05) of poor sleep quality, fatigue, and deteriorated mental health in patients. Being female, increasing age and obesity were associated with an increased likelihood of RLS. Conclusion: RLS is prevalent in CVD patients and the findings confirm that it has negative effects on patients related to greater fatigue, poor sleep and deteriorated mental health. Screening the CVD patients for RLS could be beneficial for timely diagnosis and management of the disorder, thereby, reducing complications and improving the treatment outcomes.