Obesity, Diet, and Risk of Restless Legs Syndrome

Review Article

Obesity, Diet, and Risk of Restless Legs Syndrome

Xiang Gao^1,2 and Shivani Sahni ³

Affiliations: ¹Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; ²Department of Nutrition, Harvard University School of Public Health, Boston, MA; ³Musculoskeletal Research, Institute for Aging Research, Hebrew SeniorLife, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

Submission date: 26th June 2009, Revision date: 16th August 2009, Acceptance date: 3rd September 2009

ABSTRACT

The restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common movement disorder, characterized by an almost irresistible urge to move the legs in the evening or at rest. According to recent estimates, it affects ~5-15% of adults and often has a substantial impact on sleep, daily activities, and quality of life. Although genetic susceptibility has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of RLS, there is evidence supporting possible environmental causes of RLS. In this review, we focus on obesity and dietary factors, including iron, B vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin C, and magnesium, as these factors are modifiable. Both clinical and epidemiology studies suggest that obesity and dietary factors could be risk factors for RLS. However, previous studies are limited by small sample sizes and retrospective or cross-sectional designs that preclude conclusions regarding causality. Therefore, further prospective studies examining the relation between obesity, diet, and the risk of developing RLS should be a priority.

Keywords: Obesity, diet, risk factor, restless legs syndrome, iron deficiency, homocysteine

Correspondence: Xiang Gao, Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Tel: +1-617-432-5080; fax: +1-617-432-2435; e-mail: xiang.gao@channing.harvard.edu