Restless legs syndrome is associated with increased risk of migraine

Abstract

Migraine and restless legs syndrome (RLS) are common disorders that are associated with a high level of individual suffering and major comorbidities. The aetiologies of the disorders are largely unknown, although both migraine and RLS have been linked to disturbances in the dopaminergic system and sleep issues, suggesting a relationship between the disorders. This study examines the association between RLS and migraine in a large population of otherwise healthy adults who are not taking medication. Cross-sectional study that included 20,938 participants enrolled in the Danish Blood Donor Study from 1 May 2015 to 1 February 2017. The study included complete information on migraines, the Cambridge-Hopkins RLS questionnaire, the Major Depression Inventory Scale, sex, age, body mass index (BMI), educational level, smoking status and alcohol consumption. Associations between RLS and migraine, with and without aura, were examined using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Among the participants, 4827 were self-reported migraine sufferers and 1091 were classified as suffering from RLS. Individuals with RLS had an increased risk of migraine compared to non-RLS sufferers, with an odds ratio (OR) ¼ 1.52 (95% confidence interval: 1.33-1.73). For the investigated subtypes of migraine, this association was found to be OR ¼ 1.55 (1.31-1.83) for migraines with aura and OR ¼ 1.29 (1.09-1.52) for migraines without aura. We found a significantly increased occurrence of migraine in individuals with RLS. This risk was independent of sex, age, BMI, educational level, smoking status, alcohol consumption and depressive disorder. Our findings suggest that RLS and migraine may have a common aetiology.

Study on restless leg syndrome and its relationship with quality of sleep among the general population of Mangalore, India

“…The proportion of RLS sufferers among the newly diagnosed RLS patients in this study was 26.3% which was more than 8.3% reported in the Korean study [ 12 ]. The proportion of RLS sufferers among the total participants in a study done in Denmark was reported to be 5.2% which was more than 2.5% as observed in the present study [ 17 ]. The RLS sufferers constitute a medically significant group who most likely require medical treatment [ 18 ].…”

Migraine and Sleep—An Unexplained Association?

“…Additionally, patients with migraine and RLS have higher frequencies of photo- and phonophobia, vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus and neck pain [ 109 ]. Van Oosterhout et al reported that prevalence of RLS in migraineurs is approximately 17% [ 110 ]. Didriksen showed that the prevalence of migraine with or without aura was higher among participants with RLS compared to participants without RLS.…”

Self-reported restless legs syndrome and involuntary leg movements during sleep are associated with symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

“…Previous studies have reported that RLS sufferers are more prone to experience inhibited cognitive functioning and psychosocial distress, including problems with social activities, family life, and occupational life due to fatigue following disruptions in sleep [6,7]. Moreover, we showed that suffering from RLS is associated with an increased risk of depression [8], migraine [9], and low health-related quality of life [8]. Thus, it is evident that RLS is a disorder with severe consequences for the affected.…”