In a recent study done by researchers from Germany, it has been found that estrogen plays an important role in producing restless legs syndrome (RLS) during pregnancy. The study was published in the journal Sleep.
Dr. Thomas Pollmächer, principal investigator of the research, stated that it was the first time that they got evidence of RLS’ direct relation with estrogen change during pregancy.
In the study, the blood samples of 10 pregnant women with RLS and nine pregnant healthy females was examined. They also underwent overnight sleep-lab studies during the third trimester of pregnancy and again three months after delivery.
Results showed that women with RLS had an increased level of estrogen in comparison to the healthy group. However, no significant difference was reported between other pregnancy-related hormone levels in both the groups. Eight out of 10 examined women with RLS had restless-legs symptoms before pregnancy while worsening of existing symptoms during pregnancy was reported by all.
Pollmacher at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich said that estrogens are neuroactive steroid hormones and play an important role in conception and pregnancy. He also added that the findings might help them in understanding RLS general features and would ultimately lead to an additional route for the development of treatment.
From Reuters:
A study indicates that estrogen plays an important role in triggering restless legs syndrome (RLS) during pregnancy, researchers from Germany report in the journal Sleep.
“We, for the first time, have quite direct evidence that RLS in pregnancy … is obviously directly related to hormonal changes (estrogens),” Dr. Thomas Pollmächer, principal investigator on the study, noted in an email to Reuters Health.
In the study, ten pregnant women with RLS and nine pregnant healthy “controls” provided blood samples and underwent overnight sleep-lab studies during the third trimester of pregnancy and again three months after delivery.
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