Restless leg syndrome common in adults with coeliac disease

A team of researchers from Department of Systematic pathology, the Department of Neurological Sciences at University Federico II and IDC Hermitage Capodimonte, Naples and the Sleep Disorders Center, University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan recruited 100 adult patients for features of celiac disease, iron metabolism, clinical and neurological conditions, and enrolled another 100 people from the general population as control subjects. These subjects were matched for age and sex.

The team applied four essential diagnostic criteria for restless leg syndrome to the study group, in addition to conducting a neurological examination. They gauged restless leg syndrome severity using the International restless leg syndrome Study Group rating scale.

The results showed a 31% prevalence of restless leg syndrome among subjects with celiac disease, which was much higher than the 4% prevalence in the control population although the average restless leg syndrome severity among celiac disease patients was moderate.

However there appeared to be no significant correlation between restless leg syndrome and either gluten-free diet or iron metabolism; even though the celiac patients with restless leg syndrome showed significantly lower hemoglobin levels than those without the syndrome. Nor was there any connection in the group between restless leg syndrome and other possible causes such as peripheral neuropathy, pregnancy, end-stage renal disease, and pharmacological treatments.

The study increases the number of neurological disorders now associated with celiac disease.

Movement Disorders; 13 Apr 2010

Courtesy of Celiac.com

 

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