The principal finding of this study is that RLS is more common in patients with POTS. We found that 15.6% of patients with POTS and 4.6% of controls were diagnosed with RLS on the CH-RLSq (P= .0048). A sensitivity analysis restricted to a subgroup of more closely age and sex matched controls and a sensitivity analysis restricted to only female respondents yielded similar results. This is the first report to our knowledge that has assessed the rate of RLS in patients with POTS.
The personal patient interview is considered the gold standard for the diagnosis of RLS.27As previously mentioned, the CH-RLSq, which is a self-administered questionnaire, was used to diagnose RLS in this study. The CH-RLSq uses the 4 basic criteria for the diagnosis of RLS, excludes RLS mimics such as leg cramps and positional discomfort, has strong clinimetric properties, and is validated as a stand-alone instrument for the diagnosis of RLS.
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