Dados do Trabalho

Título

A Systematic Review on the relationship between Restless Legs Syndrome and risk of falling in the elderly

Introdução

Falls are frequent in the elderly, affecting 1: 3 individuals over 65 years old. These events are among the leading causes of accidents in this age group. On the other hand, Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS), a frequent disorder in the aging population, may contribute as a causal factor to the increased risk of falls.

Objetivo

To evaluate the association between restless legs syndrome and fall risk in the elderly.

Métodos

This is a systematic review using the PRISMA methodology. The descriptors were: restless legs syndrome, risk of falls, and elderly. Inclusion criteria: cross-sectional or prospective cohort studies comprising older adults > 65 years, both sexes, use of polysomnography or validated questionnaires for RLS and risk of falling. Exclusion criteria: cards; abstracts; congress proceedings, posters.

Resultados

Of the 321 articles identified, 05 were selected and analyzed, with the observations: 10% of the total participants had RLS, and most were females. Women were 2.46 times more likely to develop RLS than men. In addition, elderly people with RLS had a relative risk of falls of 6.59. This condition may have occurred due to the following factors: 1. Individuals with scores above 5 points on the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index were more frequent in those with RLS than in those without it; 2. RLS was associated with worse physical functioning, since these elderly patients reported difficulties in performing daily life activities, such as climbing stairs, getting up from chairs, bending over and moving large objects; so that mobility limitations were statistically and clinically significant (hazard ratio of 1. 90), implying higher accidental risks in the elderly and showing a prevalence ratio of elderly with RLS who fell 2.63 times higher than those who did not have RLS; 3. The Mini-Mental score was lower in patients with RLS than in individuals without it, demonstrating concentration problems in this population and, hence, higher numbers of falls; 4. An association was observed between nocturnal falls and patients with RLS who used benzodiazepines.

Conclusões

The present systematic review showed an association between Restless Legs Syndrome and an increased risk of falls in the elderly. However, this association may depend on RLS manifestations and related behaviors, namely, poor sleep quality, physical deconditioning, difficulties in concentration, and consumption of benzodiazepines.

Palavras -chave

Risk of Falling; Restless Legs Syndrome; Elderly.