The humanistic and economic burden of restless legs syndrome

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the humanistic and economic burden of a restless legs syndrome (RLS) diagnosis with regard to health-related quality of life, work productivity loss, healthcare resource use, and direct and indirect costs. Study Design: Self-reported data came from the 2012 National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS), a large, annual, nationally representative cross-sectional general health survey of US adults. Methods: RLS patients (n = 2,392) were matched on demographic and health characteristics to Non-RLS respondents via propensity score matching differences between groups were tested with Bivariate and multivariable analyses. Results: RLS patients had significantly lower health-related quality of life scores: Mental Component Summary (44.60 vs. 48.92, p