RLS prevalence
Clinical bottom line
Restless legs syndrome, whether using standard diagnosis or not, is relatively common, affecting 5-10% of adults in Western countries, with the best conservative estimate of about 6%. Prevalence is higher with older age, and probably slightly more in women and men. Japan has a much lower prevalence, perhaps 1% or less.
Reference
M Zucconi, L Ferini-Strambi. Epidemiology and clinical findings of restless legs syndrome. Sleep Medicine 2004 5: 293-299.
Searching
This review paper contained no specified search strategy. It did report on known studies of RLS prevalence conducted since 1994, including studies published up to 2002.
Results
Details of the studies are shown in Table 1, according to whether they used current diagnostic criteria for RLS or not. Most were in industrialised Western populations in North America or Europe, apart from two studies in Japan. All were in adults, but age ranges were very different, and there were also differences in size, from a few hundred to many thousands.
Table 1: Prevalence studies of RLS
Year |
Study area |
Population |
Method |
Age range |
Number |
Prevalence (%) |
| Non-standard diagnostic criteria | ||||||
| 1945 | Sweden | Retired miners | Interview |
503 |
5 |
|
| 1967 | Austria | Interview |
>18 |
320 |
2.5 |
|
| 1991 | USA | Retired miners | Questionnaire |
29 |
||
| 1994 | Canada | Questionnaire |
>18 |
2019 |
10-15 |
|
| 1994 | Holland | Primary care | Questionnaire |
>50 |
1427 |
7.1 |
| 1997 | USA | Tel interview |
18-65 |
1205 |
10 |
|
| 2000 | USA | Tel interview |
>18 |
1803 |
10 |
|
| 2000 | Japan |
>20 |
4612 |
1.5 |
||
| 2000 | Switzerland | Postal workers | Questionnaire |
>18 |
1473 |
4 |
| 2001 | Chile | Interview |
18-85 |
100 |
13 |
|
| Standard diagnostic criteria | ||||||
| 2000 | Germany | Interview |
>65 |
369 |
9.8 |
|
| 2001 | Sweden | Women | Questionnaire |
18-64 |
200 |
11.4 |
| 2001 | Sweden | Men | Questionnaire |
18-64 |
4000 |
5.8 |
| 2001 | Japan | Interview |
21-55 |
1157 |
0.6 |
|
| 2002 | Europe | Tel interview |
15-100 |
18980 |
5.5 |
|
Figure 1 shows the range of results in Western societies. Most used wide ranges for definitions of adult populations, and only two (in light red in the figure) used older age groups. There was no apparent link between prevalence and method of interview. Using current diagnostic criteria (symbols with thick outlines in the figure) in the two largest studies produced a prevalence of about 6%.
Figure 1: RLS prevalence in Western societies
Comment
The best conservative estimate is that restless legs syndrome might affect about 6% of adults in industrialised Western countries. Rates in Japan are lower, at about 1%.