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Restless leg syndrome in people with HIV (Master thesis)

Πετράκης, Βασίλειος/ Petrakis, Vasileios

Purpose: Although HIV infection has become a chronic disease, people living with HIV (PLWHIV) often develop disorders that affect their quality of life. Sleep disturbances such as Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) could occur in all stages of infection and lead to fatigue, increased risk for comorbidities and reduced adherence to treatment. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the quality of sleep in PLWHIV monitored at the HIV Unit of the University General Hospital of Evros (Greece). Methods: Patients completed self-reported questionnaires including restless legs syndrome (RLS) questionnaire, the Epworth Scale, the Athens Insomnia Scale, the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - HADS, the SleepF Quality Scale MOS, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, data of HIV infection and clinical factors were recorded. Results: A total of 154 patients, 120 males, were included in the study. The percentage of patients diagnosed with RLS was 26.6% and the corresponding percentage of insomnia 55.2%. High prevalence of depression (46.1%) and anxiety (54.54%) was reported. Detectable viral load, low CD4 cell count and limited physical activity (p<0,001) were significant risk factors for increased incidence rate of sleep disturbances. Sleep disorders were not proven to be associated with newly antiretroviral regimens. Conclusions: Sleep disturbances were reported in high frequency in PLWHIV affecting their quality of life and increasing symptoms of depression and anxiety. It is vital to add sleep assessment into routine care and find efficient interventions in order to improve the quality of life, the mental health and the adherence to antiretroviral treatment.