Restless leg syndrome in elderly people with hypertension in Qazvin in 2018

Background Hypertension is one of the most common chronic diseases in the elderly people. Its high prevalence increases the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and strokes , kidney failure and mortality. Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is one of the possible risk factors for hypertension, which is a chronic sensory-motor disorder associated with a feeling of itching or creepy crawly in the legs, characterized by a strong tendency to move the legs at rest. Objective The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of RLS among older people with hypertension in Qazvin, Iran. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 elderly hypertensive patients referred to the heart clinic of Abu Ali Sina Hospital in 2017. They were recruited using a convenience sampling technique. After completing a demographic form, Abbreviated Mental Test, Geriatric Depression Scale, and blood pressure test, collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squared test. Findings The mean age participants was 71.95±7.19 years. The RLS prevalence was 59% in men and 62% in women. There was no significant relationship between RLS prevalence and factors of hypertension, diabetes, smoking, concurrent diabetes and hypertension and body mass index. The relationship of RLS with concurrent hyperlipidemia and hypertension was significant (P<0.05), but its relationship with the duration of hyperlipidemia was not significant. Conclusion The prevalence of RLS is high among elderly people with hypertension. More studies are required to reject or support the relationship of studied variables with RLS in these people.