pica and Restless-Legs-Syndrome

Topics: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Child; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities; Diagnosis, Differential; Epithelium; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Intestinal Absorption; Italy; Pica; Respiration; Restless Legs Syndrome; Risk Factors; Stroke

Iron deficiency is associated with neuropsychological changes such as restless leg syndrome (RLS), pica, hair loss, etc. Our objective was to assess usefulness of history of RLS and pica in relation with iron stores in blood donors. During medical examination, apart from routine questionnaires specific history of RLS and pica was elicited. Along with hemoglobin markers of iron deficiency such as s. iron, s. ferritin and mean corpuscular volume were analyzed. Out of 400 blood donors 41 had h/o pica/RLS/pagophagia. Positive and negative predictive value of above history is 73.17% and 80.5% respectively. We recommend the use of a screening question for pica and/or RLS in blood donor questionnaire.

Topics: Adult; Blood Donors; Donor Selection; Female; Humans; Iron; Iron Deficiencies; Male; Pica; Restless Legs Syndrome; Surveys and Questionnaires

Pica and restless legs syndrome (RLS) are associated with iron depletion and deficiency. The presence of pica and RLS was prospectively assessed in blood donors.. During a 39-month period, 1236 donors deferred for fingerstick hemoglobin (Hb) level of less than 12.5 g/dL and 400 nondeferred "control" donors underwent health screening and laboratory testing (complete blood count, ferritin, iron, transferrin). Pica and RLS were assessed by direct questioning. Deferred donors and iron-deficient control donors were given 325 mg of ferrous sulfate daily for 60 days. Reassessments were performed and additional iron tablets dispensed at subsequent visits.. Pica was reported in 11% of donors with iron depletion or deficiency, compared with 4% of iron-replete donors (p < 0.0001). Pagophagia (ice pica) was most common and often of extraordinary intensity. Female sex, younger age, and lower mean cell volume and transferrin saturation values were strongly associated with pica. Donors with pica given iron reported a marked reduction in the desire to consume the nonnutritive substance by Days 5 to 8 of therapy, with disappearance of symptoms by Days 10 to 14. RLS was reported in 16% of subjects with iron depletion or deficiency compared with 11% of iron-replete donors (p = 0.012). Iron replacement generally resulted in improvement of RLS symptoms; however, at least 4 to 6 weeks of iron therapy was necessary.. The presence of pica is associated with a high probability of iron depletion or deficiency in blood donors; however, RLS lacks a strong correlation in this population. Screening questions for pagophagia may be useful in the ascertainment of iron deficiency in donors and may identify those who would benefit from oral iron.

Topics: Administration, Oral; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Biomarkers; Blood Donors; Case-Control Studies; Drug Administration Schedule; Female; Ferritins; Ferrous Compounds; Hematinics; Hemoglobins; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Mass Screening; Middle Aged; Pica; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Restless Legs Syndrome; Surveys and Questionnaires; Transferrin; Young Adult

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a major public health problem especially in underdeveloped and developing countries. Zinc is the co-factor of several enzymes and plays a role in iron metabolism, so zinc deficiency is associated with IDA. In this study, it was aimed to investigate the relationship of symptoms of IDA and zinc deficiency in adult IDA patients. The study included 43 IDA patients and 43 healthy control subjects. All patients were asked to provide a detailed history and were subjected to a physical examination. The hematological parameters evaluated included hemoglobin (Hb); hematocrit (Ht); red blood cell (erythrocyte) count (RBC); and red cell indices mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (МСН), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (МСНС), and red cell distribution width (RDW). Anemia was defined according to the criteria defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Serum zinc levels were measured in the flame unit of atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Symptoms attributed to iron deficiency or depletion, defined as fatigue, cardiopulmonary symptoms, mental manifestations, epithelial manifestations, and neuromuscular symptoms, were also recorded and categorized. Serum zinc levels were lower in anemic patients (103.51 ± 34.64 μ/dL) than in the control subjects (256.92 ± 88.54 μ/dL; <0.001). Patients with zinc level <99 μ/dL had significantly more frequent mental manifestations (p < 0.001), cardiopulmonary symptoms (p = 0.004), restless leg syndrome (p = 0.016), and epithelial manifestations (p < 0.001) than patients with zinc level > 100 μ/dL. When the serum zinc level was compared with pica, no statistically significant correlation was found (p = 0.742). Zinc is a trace element that functions in several processes in the body, and zinc deficiency aggravates IDA symptoms. Measurement of zinc levels and supplementation if necessary should be considered for IDA patients.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Case-Control Studies; Cognition Disorders; Dyspnea; Erythrocyte Indices; Fatigue; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pica; Restless Legs Syndrome; Skin Diseases; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Symptom Assessment; Turkey; Young Adult; Zinc

The association of blood donation-related iron deficiency with pica or restless legs syndrome (RLS) remains poorly elucidated. This study evaluated the prevalence of RLS and pica in blood donors completing the REDS-II Iron Status Evaluation (RISE) study.. RISE enrolled 2425 blood donors in a prospective cohort study; 1334 donors provided blood samples to characterize iron status and answered a questionnaire inquiring into symptoms of RLS and pica at a final visit after 15 to 24 months of follow-up. Associations between both conditions and iron status were evaluated.. There were 9 and 20% of donors reporting symptoms of probable or probable/possible RLS, respectively. Iron depletion and donation intensity were not predictive of RLS. Pica was reported by 65 donors (5.5%), half of whom reported daily cravings. Prevalence of pica increased with degree of iron depletion in women (2% in iron-replete females, 13% in those with ferritin < 12 ng/mL), but not in men. Probable RLS and pica coexpressed in eight individuals, but no more frequently than expected by chance.. RLS and pica have been associated with iron deficiency in nondonor populations. This study indicates a potentially high prevalence of RLS in frequent blood donors but shows no association with iron status or donation intensity. Low iron stores were associated with higher prevalence of pica, but only in females. Furthermore, the results are incompatible with RLS and pica sharing a common pathophysiology.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Blood Donors; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Logistic Models; Male; Middle Aged; Odds Ratio; Pica; Prevalence; Prospective Studies; Restless Legs Syndrome; Risk Factors; Self Report

Topics: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Blood Donors; Female; Humans; Male; Mass Screening; Pica; Restless Legs Syndrome

In order to examine whether symptoms of iron deficiency anemia are due to the iron deficiency itself or the associated anemia, 34 patients with polycytemia vera (PV) treated with venesectio, who had iron deficiency but normal hemoglobin (Hb) levels, were given a questionnaire covering symptoms of iron deficiency including the international RLS-scale and the Fact-fatigue quality of life scale (QoL). We found a prevalence of pica of 11.7%, mouth paresthesias of 5.8% and rest-less legs 29.6% (RLS "normal" prevalence 10%). Thus, the prevalence of RLS is significantly higher in our population. We also saw a significant difference in QoL between patients with and without RLS (P = 0.015) and QoL correlated with the severity of RLS (R = 0.85). In conclusion, RLS seems to be a frequent and serious problem for PV patients treated with venesectio according to standard guidelines.

Topics: Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Health Surveys; Humans; Iron Deficiencies; Mouth; Paresthesia; Phlebotomy; Pica; Polycythemia Vera; Prevalence; Quality of Life; Restless Legs Syndrome; Surveys and Questionnaires

Topics: Adolescent; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency; Female; Ferrous Compounds; Humans; Pica; Restless Legs Syndrome

Topics: Deficiency Diseases; Feeding and Eating Disorders; Humans; Iron; Iron Metabolism Disorders; Leg; Paresthesia; Pica; Restless Legs Syndrome