Abstract
Regarding restless legs syndrome (RLS), a clearly high prevalence has been reported of 4.8-32.2% in hemodialysis patients but it is reportedly only 5-10% in Europe and America and 2-5% in Japan in the general population. However, only a few epidemiological investigations of RLS involving hemodialysis patients in Japan have been reported. Pramipexole hydrochloride hydrate (Pramipexole) was authorized as an idiopathic RLS therapeutic drug in January 2010. We investigated the prevalence using the RLS diagnostic criteria in 103 hemodialysis patients (56 males and 47 females). Moreover, Pramipexole was administered to patients diagnosed with RLS, and the clinical effectiveness was examined. The International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLS) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used for the judgment of effectiveness. Eighteen patients fulfilled all four diagnostic criteria for RLS among the 103 hemodialysis patients (prevalence: 17.5%). Those patients agreeing to take Pramipexole among these 18 patients numbered 9. The average IRLS score before and after Pramipexole initiation was 25±6.9 points before dosage, 18.3±9.1 points one week later, and 14.7±7.7 points one month later, and the average IRLS score after one month had decreased significantly compared with before Pramipexole initiation. The average VAS score was 68.8±12.2mm before dosage, 36±19.7mm one week later, and 28.3±24.5mm one month later, and the average VAS score showed a significant difference at one week after the start and then decreased. Improvements of IRLS and VAS scores occurred on taking Pramipexole time-dependently. Therefore, a high prevalence of RLS was shown in hemodialysis patients. It was suggested that Pramipexole is useful for RLS treatment in hemodialysis patients because symptomatic improvement of RLS was verified on administering Pramipexole.
