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Epidemiology of Restless Legs Syndrome

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Clinician's Manual on Restless Legs Syndrome

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Abstract

Studies going back to Ekbom’s pioneering work have shown that restless legs syndrome (RLS) is not rare in adults, especially in clinical populations [1]. After key aspects of the diagnosis were established in 2003 by consensus of the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group (IRLSSG) [2, 3], several studies have utilized the four core key diagnostic features of RLS (first four of the 2014 revised five RLS diagnostic criteria) [4] to screen for individuals with RLS symptoms. Most of these studies have looked into populations which are European or predominantly derived from European populations (Table 1.1) [5–12]. These studies have shown that between 5 and 12 % of the adults in these populations endorse the five key diagnostic features of RLS [13]. The key diagnostic features of RLS are:

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. PIH Health Hospital - Downey, Downey, CA, USA

    Mark J. Buchfuhrer

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  1. Mark J. Buchfuhrer
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Buchfuhrer, M.J. (2016). Epidemiology of Restless Legs Syndrome. In: Clinician's Manual on Restless Legs Syndrome. Adis, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31373-3_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31373-3_1

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  • Publisher Name: Adis, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31372-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31373-3

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