Role of the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) in the idiopathic restless legs syndrome

Bosco, Domenico; Plastino, Massimiliano; Fava, Antonietta; Ettore, Maria; Bosco, Francesca; Ermio, Caterina; Tallarigo, Federico; Pirritano, Domenico; Consoli, Domenico

doi:10.1016/j.jns.2009.09.008

« Previous Next »Journal of the Neurological Sciences
Volume 287, Issue 1 , Pages 60-63, 15 December 2009

Role of the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) in the idiopathic restless legs syndrome

Domenico Bosco
- Department of Neuroscience, “S. Giovanni di Dio” Hospital, 88900, Crotone, Italy
- Corresponding author. Department of Neuroscience, “S. Giovanni di Dio” Hospital, Via Largo Bologna, 88900, Crotone, Italy. Tel.: +39 0962 92 42 41; fax: +39 0962 92 45 61.
Massimiliano Plastino
- Department of Neuroscience, “S. Giovanni di Dio” Hospital, 88900, Crotone, Italy
Antonietta Fava
- Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Campus Universitario, loc. Germaneto, University “Magna Graecia”, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
Maria Ettore
- Department of Neuroscience, “S. Giovanni di Dio” Hospital, 88900, Crotone, Italy
Francesca Bosco
- Pharmacology, Course of Clinical Pharmacy, loc. Roccelletta, University “Magna Graecia”, 88100 Catanzaro, Italy
Caterina Ermio
- Department of Neuroscience, “S. Giovanni Paolo II” Hospital, 88046, Lamezia Terme, Italy
Federico Tallarigo
- Serv. of Anatomo-Pathology, “S. Giovanni di Dio” Hospital, 88900, Crotone, Italy
Domenico Pirritano
- Neurology, Department of Medical Science, Campus Universitario, loc. Germaneto, University “Magna Graecia”, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
Domenico Consoli
- Department of Neuroscience, “G. Jazzolino” Hospital, 89900, Vibo Valentia, Italy

Received 10 April 2009; received in revised form 4 September 2009; accepted 8 September 2009. published online 28 September 2009.

Abstract

Background

Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a sensorimotor disorder characterised by a distressing urge to move the legs. Several clinical conditions have been associated with RLS, such as iron deficiency, uraemia, pregnancy, polyneuropathy and Diabetes Mellitus (DM). However the causes remain unknown in about 70–80% of cases.

Objective

To evaluate the role of glucose metabolism abnormalities in idiopathic RLS.

Methods

We enrolled 132 consecutive patients with idiopathic RLS associated with normal fasting glycaemia and 128 control subjects. We evaluated glucose and insulin levels after a 2-h oral glucose tolerance test (2h-OGTT) in patients and control subjects. In addition we determined Insulin Resistance (IR) by Homa-Index.

Results

After 2h-OGTT, the prevalence of glucose metabolism abnormalities was significantly higher in patients with RLS than in controls (P=.002). Impaired Glucose Tolerance (IGT) was found in 54 (41%) patients and in 23 (18%) controls, while a new-diagnosed DM (NDDM) was found in 25 (19%) patients and in 8 (6%) controls. The IR showed no significant differences between patients and controls.

Conclusions

Our study suggests that IGT (prediabetes) is frequently associated with idiopathic RLS. We propose to perform a 2h-OGTT in idiopathic RLS patients with normal fasting glycaemia.

Keywords: Restless legs syndrome, Restless legs syndrome and prediabetes, Small fibres neuropathy, 2h-OGTT