Books – Mahmoud Abdo:
04:00 p
15/10/2025
A new study has revealed a possible link between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and Parkinson’s disease, raising questions about whether RLS may be a risk factor for Parkinson’s disease, rather than just an early symptom.
According to Science Alert, restless legs syndrome, or Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder that causes an uncomfortable feeling in the legs that prompts the patient to move them repeatedly to relieve the discomfort.
Researchers link these two diseases through their effect on the dopamine pathway in the brain, and dopamine-stimulating drugs are used to treat both conditions.
In the study conducted in South Korea, data from nearly 10,000 patients with restless legs syndrome were analyzed and compared with a control group over a period of 15 years.
The results showed that people with RLS were 1.6% more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease compared to 1% in the control group.
The study also showed that patients who did not receive dopamine-stimulating treatments were more likely to develop Parkinson’s disease, suggesting that other factors may play a role, such as sleep disorders and iron deficiency.
However, researchers emphasized that having restless legs syndrome does not necessarily mean having Parkinson’s disease, but the existence of a link between them may help in better understanding how these two diseases arise and developing more effective treatments.
