Quotes from 2 Legendary RLS Researchers connecting RLS to Inflammation
Posted: Wed Mar 20, 2024 8:30 am
In 2011 Doctors Leonard Weinstock, Arthur Walters and Paisit Paueksakon published a scientific paper called "Restless Legs Syndrome: Theoretical Roles of Inflammatory and Immune Mechanisms."
This was a breakthrough study that discovered that Restless Legs Syndrome had a higher prevalence in subjects suffering from 38 different inflammatory conditions.
This was the first study that really made a connection between Restless Legs Syndrome and inflammation.
It also became clear that Restless Legs Syndrome was not causing secondary conditions and that secondary conditions were not causing Restless Legs Syndrome. All conditions, including RLS, resulted from the underlying presence of inflammation.
For example SIBO does not cause RLS, and RLS does not cause SIBO. They both exist because of inflammation.
From their Summary:
"The fact that 95% of the 38 highly-associated RLS conditions are also associated with inflammatory/immune changes suggests the possibility that RLS may be mediated or affected through these mechanisms. Inflammation can be responsible for iron deficiency and hypothetically could cause central nervous system iron deficiency-induced RLS."
From their Conclusion:
"The etiology and pathophysiology of RLS is yet to be determined. Although specific genetic links are prevalent and CNS iron deficiency plays an important role in the pathophysiology, we do not know what triggers the iron deficiency or how most gene links are directly involved in the pathophysiology of RLS. In this unique syndrome there are many potential ways for the symptoms of RLS to occur including alternative causes such as peripheral neuropathy. Inflammation and immune alterations are prevalent in 95% of the highly-associated RLS conditions. This suggests the possibility that RLS may be mediated through these mechanisms.
There are three hypothetical mechanisms by which this can occur:
1) inflammation can trigger iron deficiency and this in turn is a well known trigger for RLS;
2) immunological reactions to bacteria or other unknown antigens may hypothetically trigger RLS by direct immunological attack on the central or peripheral nervous system;
3) altered host defenses based on genetic variants may predispose individuals to inflammation or an altered immunological response leading to RLS."
You can view the full study here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9211000980
I was doing my own personal (non medical) research at the time and had the good fortune of connecting with Doctors Weinstock and Walters. The bulk of my correspondence was with Dr. Weinstock.
The doctors were kind enough to provide me a quote for a website that I had launched with natural healing advice for RLS sufferers. The main premise of my website was that inflammation was the cause of Restless Legs Syndrome.
Considering that these two doctors are legendary in the world of RLS, these quotes carry a lot of weight.
Doctor Walter's comment is essentially a reiteration of their study's conclusion, but Dr. Weinstock uses a term that you NEVER hear from doctors stating "there is no doubt in my mind."
Here are the quotes:
"Our study suggests that RLS may be mediated through inflammatory or immunological mechanisms. Since inflammation is also associated with iron deficiency, these results are also in agreement with the iron deficiency hypothesis for RLS." - Dr. Arthur Walters, MD, Professor of Neurology, Vanderbilt Department of Neurology
"I have thoroughly analyzed every known scientific study that has been done on Restless Legs Syndrome. Taking all of this data into consideration, there is no doubt in my mind that inflammation plays a major role in the occurrence of RLS. I see this time and time again with many patient types." - Dr. Leonard Weinstock, MD, Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, St. Louis, MO
This was a breakthrough study that discovered that Restless Legs Syndrome had a higher prevalence in subjects suffering from 38 different inflammatory conditions.
This was the first study that really made a connection between Restless Legs Syndrome and inflammation.
It also became clear that Restless Legs Syndrome was not causing secondary conditions and that secondary conditions were not causing Restless Legs Syndrome. All conditions, including RLS, resulted from the underlying presence of inflammation.
For example SIBO does not cause RLS, and RLS does not cause SIBO. They both exist because of inflammation.
From their Summary:
"The fact that 95% of the 38 highly-associated RLS conditions are also associated with inflammatory/immune changes suggests the possibility that RLS may be mediated or affected through these mechanisms. Inflammation can be responsible for iron deficiency and hypothetically could cause central nervous system iron deficiency-induced RLS."
From their Conclusion:
"The etiology and pathophysiology of RLS is yet to be determined. Although specific genetic links are prevalent and CNS iron deficiency plays an important role in the pathophysiology, we do not know what triggers the iron deficiency or how most gene links are directly involved in the pathophysiology of RLS. In this unique syndrome there are many potential ways for the symptoms of RLS to occur including alternative causes such as peripheral neuropathy. Inflammation and immune alterations are prevalent in 95% of the highly-associated RLS conditions. This suggests the possibility that RLS may be mediated through these mechanisms.
There are three hypothetical mechanisms by which this can occur:
1) inflammation can trigger iron deficiency and this in turn is a well known trigger for RLS;
2) immunological reactions to bacteria or other unknown antigens may hypothetically trigger RLS by direct immunological attack on the central or peripheral nervous system;
3) altered host defenses based on genetic variants may predispose individuals to inflammation or an altered immunological response leading to RLS."
You can view the full study here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/a ... 9211000980
I was doing my own personal (non medical) research at the time and had the good fortune of connecting with Doctors Weinstock and Walters. The bulk of my correspondence was with Dr. Weinstock.
The doctors were kind enough to provide me a quote for a website that I had launched with natural healing advice for RLS sufferers. The main premise of my website was that inflammation was the cause of Restless Legs Syndrome.
Considering that these two doctors are legendary in the world of RLS, these quotes carry a lot of weight.
Doctor Walter's comment is essentially a reiteration of their study's conclusion, but Dr. Weinstock uses a term that you NEVER hear from doctors stating "there is no doubt in my mind."
Here are the quotes:
"Our study suggests that RLS may be mediated through inflammatory or immunological mechanisms. Since inflammation is also associated with iron deficiency, these results are also in agreement with the iron deficiency hypothesis for RLS." - Dr. Arthur Walters, MD, Professor of Neurology, Vanderbilt Department of Neurology
"I have thoroughly analyzed every known scientific study that has been done on Restless Legs Syndrome. Taking all of this data into consideration, there is no doubt in my mind that inflammation plays a major role in the occurrence of RLS. I see this time and time again with many patient types." - Dr. Leonard Weinstock, MD, Certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, St. Louis, MO