Association of Premenopausal Bilateral Oophorectomy with Restless Legs Syndrome

Abstract

Importance: Restless legs syndrome is a common neurologic disorder that is more prevalent in women than in men, and it has been suggested that female hormones may be involved in the disorder's pathophysiology. Objective: To determine whether women who underwent premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy were at increased risk of restless legs syndrome. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study was performed using data from the Mayo Clinic Cohort Study of Oophorectomy and Aging-2 for a population in Olmsted County, Minnesota. There were 1653 women who underwent premenopausal bilateral oophorectomy before the age of 50 years for a benign indication between 1988 and 2007 and 1653 age-matched women (of same age plus or minus 1 year) in a reference group. Follow-up was conducted until the end of the study period (ie, December 31, 2014). Data were analyzed from January to July 2020. Exposures: Undergoing bilateral oophorectomy, as shown in medical record documentation. Main Outcomes and Measures: Diagnosis of restless legs syndrome, as defined using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) criteria, was recorded. Results: Among 3306 women, the median (interquartile range) age at baseline was 44.0 (40.0-47.0) years. Women who underwent bilateral oophorectomy, compared with women who did not undergo this procedure, had a greater number of chronic conditions at the index date (eg, 300 women [18.1%] vs 171 women [10.3%] with ≥3 chronic conditions; overall P