Association of Restless Legs Syndrome with Glycemic Control and Psychological Status in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review

Background: Evidence is still lacking regarding the association of restless leg syndrome (RLS) on glycemic control and psychological status in diabetic patients.

Aims: To summarize the evidence regarding the association of RLS with glycemic control and psychological status in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: The literature search compassed all English-published studies from inception till the 21st of May 2023 on the electronic databases of MEDLINE/PubMed, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and ProQuest. The search terms included “Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2” AND "restless legs syndrome”. We created a narrative synthesis for the outcomes and pooling of the glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels.

Results: Sixteen studies were included. Pooling of the HbA1c levels showed a lack of significant differences between the RLS+ve and RLS-ve groups. Seven out of eight studies showed a significant decrease in sleep quality. Three studies assessed the quality of life and found a marked decrease in RLS+ve patients. Two studies out of four found a significant association of RLS with depression, while the other two found a non-significant increase with RLS.

Conclusion: There is no evidence that RLS in type 2 diabetic patients is associated with poor glycemic control. The evidence suggests that RLS is associated with a reduction in sleep quality and quality of life. The evidence is inconclusive regarding the association of RLS with depression due to the low number of studies. Physicians should be aware of the associated disorders with RLS in diabetic patients and endeavour to identify and alleviate them.