Epidemiology of familial and sporadic restless legs syndrome in Iran

Restless legs syndrome is one of the most common sleep and movement disorders. For lack of sufficient information on this syndrome in Iran, this study was conducted at Alzahra Hospital, Isfahan, Central Iran, to determine the epidemiology of idiopathic, familial and sporadic forms of the syndrome. From September 1999 to April 2003, 61 patients in two groups were selected. A questionnaire with emphasis on sleep history and neurological history was completed and a thorough physical examination was performed for each patient. Familial and sporadic groups had mean ± SD ages of 22 ± 2.1 and 41 ± 3.2 years, respectively (P < 0.05). Female to male ratio was 2:1. The mean ± SD ages for women and men were 31 ± 5.3 and 42 ± 6.1 years (P < 0.05), respectively. Our findings support the current opinion that restless legs syndrome should be divided into the early-onset disease with a clear genetic component and the late-onset disease with an unclear etiology.