RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: We studied the quality of life (QOL) of patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and compared it to that of normal controls and patients with hypertension or diabetes in Korea. METHODS: We developed a Korean version of the Johns Hopkins RLS QOL questionnaire by translating this into Korean and then back into English to check its accuracy. In total, 250 RLS patients were included in this study. The scores of RLS patients were compared with those of 215 normal controls, 196 patients with hypertension, and 185 diabetics. All subjects completed the questionnaires, including the Korean versions of the Short Form 36, Johns Hopkins RLS QOL, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The associations between the severity of RLS and the QOL scores were examined using Pearson correlations. RESULTS: The QOL scores were lower in subjects with RLS than in the normal controls and the patients with hypertension or diabetes. More severe RLS symptoms were associated with a lower QOL score. Correlation analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between the severity of RLS symptoms and QOL score (r=-0.702, p<0.001). However, neither the gender of the RLS subjects nor the age at symptom onset (early or late onset) affected the QOL score. The factors most related to QOL score in RLS patients were depression and sleep quality. CONCLUSIONS: We found that Koreans with RLS have a considerably diminished QOL, with this being worse than in Korean subjects with diabetes or hypertension. These findings are comparable with studies conducted in Western countries.