New AASM Guideline for Restless Legs Syndrome Published
A new clinical practice guideline was published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, providing recommendations to health care providers regarding the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and periodic limb movement disorder (PLMD) in adult and pediatric patients. The guideline was developed by a task force of sleep medicine clinicians commissioned by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). The new clinical practice guideline updates the previous 2012 AASM practice parameter on the treatment of RLS and PLMD, published in Sleep.
The clinical practice guideline was developed through a systematic literature review, with evidence assessed according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology. The AASM Board of Directors approved all final recommendations.
In their clinical practice guideline, the authors provide a Good Practice Statement based on expert consensus, which includes 3 points of guidance regarding:
- The implementation of serum iron studies for patients with clinically significant RLS
- Addressing exacerbating factors for the management of RLS, including alcohol, caffeine, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and antihistaminergic, serotonergic, and antidopaminergic medications
- Treating people with RLS who are pregnant
Each recommendation is presented with a strength level, consisting of either a strong recommendation (“We recommend…”) or a conditional recommendation (“We suggest…”), along with remarks to guide clinicians in implementation. The guideline includes:
- 20 recommendations for adults with RLS
- 5 recommendations for special adult populations with RLS (those with end-stage renal disease [ESRD])
- 2 recommendations for adults with PLMD
- 1 recommendation for children with RLS.
The new clinical practice guideline is available through the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: https://jcsm.aasm.org/doi/10.5664/jcsm.11390