Skip Navigation


Age and Ageing Advance Access originally published online on May 10, 2005
Age and Ageing 2005 34(4):349-352; doi:10.1093/ageing/afi066
This Article
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
34/4/349    most recent
afi066v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (6)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by O’Keeffe, S. T.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by O’Keeffe, S. T.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2005. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

Research Paper

Secondary causes of restless legs syndrome in older people

Shaun T. O’Keeffe

Department of Geriatric Medicine, Unit 4, Merlin Park Regional Hospital, Galway, Ireland

Address correspondence to: S. T. O’Keeffe. Fax: (+353) 91 770515. Email: s.okeeffe{at}whb.ie

Abstract

Background: secondary causes of restless legs syndrome (RLS) have been reported to be more common in those with late-onset RLS. However, ‘late-onset’ in previous studies was defined as onset after 45 years.

Objective: to determine the prevalence of secondary causes of RLS and the relationship between aetiological factors and age of symptom onset in an older population.

Design: prospective study conducted over a 5-year period.

Participants: 80 consecutive non-related patients diagnosed with RLS.

Measurements: patients were assessed according to a standard protocol. Age at symptom onset, severity of symptoms, neurological findings and laboratory tests were examined.

Results: iron deficiency (serum ferritin <50 ng/ml) was present in 22% of patients with onset before 50 years, 39% of those with onset at 50 to 64 years and 58% in those with onset after 64 years (P = 0.009). Clinical neuropathy was also more common in older-onset patients (P = 0.08). Family history was positive in 39%, 23% and 8% of these groups, respectively (P = 0.008).

Conclusion: secondary causes of RLS become more common and a positive family history less common with increased age of symptom onset.

Keywords: restless legs syndrome, elderly, iron, ferritin

Received October 3, 2004; Revision received January 17, 2005. accepted in revised form January 17, 2005.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Nutr Clin PractHome page
S. F. Clark
Iron Deficiency Anemia
Nutr Clin Pract, April 1, 2008; 23(2): 128 - 141.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.