Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up

Background Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, it remains unknown whether treatment of RLS lowers the cardiovascular risk associated with RLS. Methods and Results All data were collected retrospectively, but subjects were prospectively f...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiang Gao, Djibril M. Ba, Kanika Bagai, Guodong Liu, Chaoran Ma, Arthur S. Walters
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2021-02-01
Series:Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.018674
_version_ 1818312349219553280
author Xiang Gao
Djibril M. Ba
Kanika Bagai
Guodong Liu
Chaoran Ma
Arthur S. Walters
author_facet Xiang Gao
Djibril M. Ba
Kanika Bagai
Guodong Liu
Chaoran Ma
Arthur S. Walters
author_sort Xiang Gao
collection DOAJ
description Background Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, it remains unknown whether treatment of RLS lowers the cardiovascular risk associated with RLS. Methods and Results All data were collected retrospectively, but subjects were prospectively followed forward in time to determine outcomes of interest. We used the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2014. Participants were 169 393 individuals, which included 24 199 nonpregnant participants with an RLS diagnosis (16 694 receiving treatments for RLS and 7505 without treatment) during 2006 to 2008 and 145 194 age‐ and sex‐matched participants without RLS. All participants were free of CVD before January 1, 2009 (analysis baseline). Incident CVD cases (myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure) were identified. We adjusted for potential confounders, such as presence of chronic conditions and medication use. We identified 16 574 incident CVD cases during 2009 to 2014. Relative to the non‐RLS group, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for future CVD was 1.26 (95% CI, 1.20–1.32) (P<0.001) for the RLS with treatment group, and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.42–1.65) (P<0.001) for the RLS without treatment group. Significant lower CVD risk was observed for all different RLS treatments, including dopaminergics, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, and opiates (adjusted HRs range, 0.71‐0.84; P<0.001 for all), except for ergot‐dopamine use. Conclusions RLS was associated with higher future CVD risk. However, RLS was associated with statistically significantly less future cardiovascular risk in RLS patients with treatment than in those without treatment.
first_indexed 2024-12-13T08:16:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-959075e985d24e40a48f3df596860791
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2047-9980
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-13T08:16:26Z
publishDate 2021-02-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
spelling doaj.art-959075e985d24e40a48f3df5968607912022-12-21T23:54:06ZengWileyJournal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease2047-99802021-02-0110410.1161/JAHA.120.018674Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐UpXiang Gao0Djibril M. Ba1Kanika Bagai2Guodong Liu3Chaoran Ma4Arthur S. Walters5Department of Nutritional Sciences Penn State University University Park PADepartment of Public Health Sciences Penn State College of Medicine Hershey PADepartment of Neurology Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville TNDepartment of Public Health Sciences Penn State College of Medicine Hershey PADepartment of Nutritional Sciences Penn State University University Park PADepartment of Neurology Vanderbilt University Medical Center Nashville TNBackground Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, it remains unknown whether treatment of RLS lowers the cardiovascular risk associated with RLS. Methods and Results All data were collected retrospectively, but subjects were prospectively followed forward in time to determine outcomes of interest. We used the Truven Health MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters database from January 1, 2006, through December 31, 2014. Participants were 169 393 individuals, which included 24 199 nonpregnant participants with an RLS diagnosis (16 694 receiving treatments for RLS and 7505 without treatment) during 2006 to 2008 and 145 194 age‐ and sex‐matched participants without RLS. All participants were free of CVD before January 1, 2009 (analysis baseline). Incident CVD cases (myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure) were identified. We adjusted for potential confounders, such as presence of chronic conditions and medication use. We identified 16 574 incident CVD cases during 2009 to 2014. Relative to the non‐RLS group, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for future CVD was 1.26 (95% CI, 1.20–1.32) (P<0.001) for the RLS with treatment group, and 1.53 (95% CI, 1.42–1.65) (P<0.001) for the RLS without treatment group. Significant lower CVD risk was observed for all different RLS treatments, including dopaminergics, anticonvulsants, benzodiazepines, and opiates (adjusted HRs range, 0.71‐0.84; P<0.001 for all), except for ergot‐dopamine use. Conclusions RLS was associated with higher future CVD risk. However, RLS was associated with statistically significantly less future cardiovascular risk in RLS patients with treatment than in those without treatment.https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.018674cardiovascular diseasecohort studyrestless legs syndromestroketreatment
spellingShingle Xiang Gao
Djibril M. Ba
Kanika Bagai
Guodong Liu
Chaoran Ma
Arthur S. Walters
Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up
Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease
cardiovascular disease
cohort study
restless legs syndrome
stroke
treatment
title Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up
title_full Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up
title_fullStr Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up
title_full_unstemmed Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up
title_short Treating Restless Legs Syndrome Was Associated With Low Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Cohort Study With 3.4 Years of Follow‐Up
title_sort treating restless legs syndrome was associated with low risk of cardiovascular disease a cohort study with 3 4 years of follow up
topic cardiovascular disease
cohort study
restless legs syndrome
stroke
treatment
url https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.120.018674
work_keys_str_mv AT xianggao treatingrestlesslegssyndromewasassociatedwithlowriskofcardiovasculardiseaseacohortstudywith34yearsoffollowup
AT djibrilmba treatingrestlesslegssyndromewasassociatedwithlowriskofcardiovasculardiseaseacohortstudywith34yearsoffollowup
AT kanikabagai treatingrestlesslegssyndromewasassociatedwithlowriskofcardiovasculardiseaseacohortstudywith34yearsoffollowup
AT guodongliu treatingrestlesslegssyndromewasassociatedwithlowriskofcardiovasculardiseaseacohortstudywith34yearsoffollowup
AT chaoranma treatingrestlesslegssyndromewasassociatedwithlowriskofcardiovasculardiseaseacohortstudywith34yearsoffollowup
AT arthurswalters treatingrestlesslegssyndromewasassociatedwithlowriskofcardiovasculardiseaseacohortstudywith34yearsoffollowup