Restless Legs Syndrome - Treatment Options, Symptoms, Causes & Diagnosis from MedifocusHealth

Restless Legs Syndrome > Understanding Restless Legs Syndrome > Introduction to Restless Legs Syndrome > Secondary Restless Leg Syndrome

Introduction to Restless Legs Syndrome

Secondary Restless Leg Syndrome

The most common causes of secondary restless legs syndrome include:

Iron deficiency anemia
Pregnancy
End-stage Renal Disease patients on hemodialysis (approximately 50% of these patients experience restless legs syndrome). It appears that restless legs syndrome is related more to the elevated uremia than to the initiation of dialysis.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Abnormal thyroid metabolism
Peripheral neuropathy
Diabetes
Parkinson's disease
Medications such as dopamine antagonists and some antidepressants
Some research indicates that restless legs syndrome is associated with decreased levels of magnesium and folate in the blood

Reversing the conditions causing secondary restless legs syndrome typically results in the resolution of symptoms. Some researchers are of the opinion that one of the common threads that may relate these conditions to restless legs syndrome is iron deficiency.