Restless legs syndrome

The restless legs syndrome (RLS), also known as Willis Ekbom disease is a neurologic disorder characterized by unpleasant sensations in the legs accompanied by an urge to move them (akathisia). These symptoms occur predominantly at rest and worsen at night, resulting in nocturnal insomnia and chronic sleep deprivation. The prevalence of RLS increases with age and appears to be higher among women than among men. RLS has a high familial aggregation. To date, several loci and genetic risk factors have been identified, but no causative gene mutation has been found. Standard medications for RLS are dopamine agonists and CACN alpha-2 delta blocker. A high prevalence of iron deficiency has been found among patients with RLS. It has been reported that treatment with oral iron supplements resulted in improvements in the severity of the symptoms in patients with a low serum ferritin level.