RT Journal Article
      AU Hyder Mirghani¹, Osama Hamdi Asiri², Khaled Abdulrahman Alshehri², Maitha MohammedAlthawy³, Amnah Ali Alharbi⁴, Maryam Mohammed Abdulaal⁴, Munia Ghassan Alqahtany⁵, WahbiIbrahim Alnazawi⁶, Dhuha Abduallah Alhuthaily⁷, Raghad Shami Alsharidi⁸, Shroog Ibrahim AlQurashi⁹, Abdulaziz Jameel AlOtaibi¹⁰, Abdulmajeed Albalawi¹¹
      TI Mapping the Burden of Restless Legs Syndrome across Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
      T2 Neom Journal of Medical Science
      DO https://doi.org/10.64039/djms.2025.2101 
      VL Volume 2, Issue 1 
      SP 1
      EP 16
      PY 2026
      AB <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Background:</strong> 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.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Methods:</strong> 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.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Results:</strong> 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.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Conclusion:</strong> 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.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p>
      KW: Restless Legs Syndrome, RLS, Prevalence, Saudi Arabia, Meta-analysis
      UL https://dawnmed.com.sa/../abstract?article_id=11