dawnmedDawnMed Journal of Medical ScienceISVolume 2, Issue 1MultidisciplinaryEnglish2026NNY20260110Neurology Mapping the Burden of Restless Legs Syndrome across Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysisEnglishY116HyderMirghani¹EnglishNOsama HamdiAsiri²EnglishYKhaled AbdulrahmanAlshehri²EnglishYMaithaMohammedAlthawy³EnglishYAmnah AliAlharbi⁴EnglishYMaryam MohammedAbdulaal⁴EnglishYMunia GhassanAlqahtany⁵EnglishYWahbiIbrahimAlnazawi⁶EnglishYDhuha AbduallahAlhuthaily⁷EnglishYRaghad ShamiAlsharidi⁸EnglishYShroog IbrahimAlQurashi⁹EnglishYAbdulaziz JameelAlOtaibi¹⁰EnglishYAbdulmajeedAlbalawi¹¹EnglishY10.64039/djms.2025.2101Background: Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) is a common but underdiagnosed neurological disorder that negatively affects sleep quality, mood, cardiovascular health, and quality of life. Aim: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to estimate the pooled prevalence of RLS among adults in Saudi Arabia and explore variation across population subgroups.Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Ovid databases up to October 2025. Observational studies that reported RLS prevalence among adults (≥ 16 years) were considered. The pooled prevalence was calculated using a random-effects model (DerSimonian–Laird method), with heterogeneity assessed by the I² statistic and subgroup analyses conducted by population type and diagnostic criteria.Results: Twenty studies with a total of 22,383 participants were included.The pooled prevalence of RLS in the general adult population of Saudi Arabia was 12.13% (95% CI, 8.13-16.79%) with high heterogeneity (I² = 98.3%). Subgroup analyses revealed markedly higher prevalence rates in specific clinical groups: 26% among patients with chronic conditions, 26% in pregnant women, and 18% among students. Studies using the International RLS Study Group criteria reported a pooled prevalence of 22%. Heterogeneity persisted within subgroups.Conclusion: RLS is relatively common among adults in Saudi Arabia, particularly among highrisk and pregnant populations. These findings highlight the need for increased awareness, standardized screening, and further research to improve diagnosis and management of RLS across the Kingdom.EnglishRestless Legs Syndrome, RLS, Prevalence, Saudi Arabia, Meta-analysishttps://dawnmed.com.sa/abstract?id=11References1619Xu Y, Guan Y, Lang B. Unraveling Restless Legs Syndrome: A Comprehensive Review of Current Research and Future Directions. IJGM. 2025 July; Volume18:4041and;ndash;55.Silva GE, Goodwin JL, Vana KD, Vasquez MM, Wilcox PG, Quan SF. 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