The relationship between disease symptoms and restless legs syndrome in adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder without iron deficiency

Background This study aimed to investigate the frequency of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and the affecting factors in the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) group without iron deficiency. Drug-naive ADHD patients were included in the study. Patients without iron deficiency filled out the adult ADHD Self Reporting Scale, the Wender Utah Rating Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Scale scores were compared in ADHD patients with and without RLS. Univariate and multivariate binary logistic regression analyses were used to determine the risk factors associated with RLS. Results A total of 120 ADHD patients participated in the study; 53 were predominantly inattentive ADHD patients (ADHD-I), and 67 were ADHD combined type (ADHD-C). RLS incidence was found to be 31.6%. ADHD symptoms, anxiety, and depression were found to be significantly more severe in patients with ADHD accompanying RLS. Also, anxiety and the presence of ADHD predicted RLS. Conclusions The presence of ADHD and accompanying anxiety was effective on RLS, regardless of iron deficiency. RLS is a comorbidity that frequently accompanies ADHD, and its diagnosis and treatment should not be ignored. This is the first study to investigate the frequency of RLS and accompanying factors by excluding iron deficiency in the ADHD group.