Restless leg syndrome in people living with HIV: Prevalence, clinical predictors and the impact on sleep quality and psychological distress

Vasilis Petrakis, Paschalis Steiropoulos, Nikoleta Babaka, Andreas G. Tsantes, Gregorios Trypsianis, Petros Rafailidis, Maria Panopoulou, Dimitrios Papazoglou, Periklis Panagopoulos, Department of Infectious Diseases, nd University Department of Internal Medicine, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, University Department of Pulmonology, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace, Laboratory of Haematology and Blood Bank Unit, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Athens, Microbiology Department, Saint Savvas, Oncology Hospital Athens, Department of Medical Statistics, Medical Faculty, Democritus University of Thrace, University Laboratory Department of Microbiology, University General Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Democritus University of Thrace

International Journal of STD & AIDS: Clinical practice in sexual health

Published online on January 31, 2026

Abstract

International Journal of STD & AIDS, Volume 37, Issue 6, Page 613-622, May 2026.
BackgroundRestless Leg Syndrome (RLS) is a common neurological disorder with a prevalence of 5-10% in Western countries. Emerging evidence suggests a higher prevalence among people living with HIV (PWHIV), though comprehensive studies are lacking. RLS may ...