Are serum vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous associated with restless leg syndrome? A systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#calcium #humans #observational-studies-as-topic #prospective-studies #restless-legs-syndrome

Are serum vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous associated with restless leg syndrome? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Mansourian et al., 2020 | Sleep Med | Meta Analysis

Citation

Mansourian Marjan, Rafie Nahid, ... Arab Arman. Are serum vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous associated with restless leg syndrome? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sleep Med. 2020-Nov;75:326-334. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2020.08.022

Abstract

BACKGROUND: It is hypothesized that vitamin D deficiency, and calcium/phosphate imbalance could be involved in the pathophysiology of restless leg syndrome (RLS). This systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies were carried out to reach a firm conclusion regarding the possible association between vitamin D, calcium and phosphorous levels with RLS in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients, other comorbidities and healthy population. METHODS: PubMed, Scopus, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane's library were systematically searched up to June 2020. Quality assessment of the included observational studies was performed using Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Statistical analyses were done using STATA 11.2. A P-value <0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 36 studies involving 9590 participants were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. We found that serum vitamin D level is significantly lower (WMD -3.39 ng/mL; 95% CI, -5.96 to -0.81; P = 0.010; I2 = 86.2%) and phosphorous (SMD 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.34; P = 0.011; I2 = 83.6%) is significantly higher in RLS individuals compared to the non-RLS individuals. However, the mean difference of serum calcium was not significant in comparison between RLS and control groups (SMD -0.01; 95% CI, -0.19 to 0.18; P = 0.957; I2 = 89.2%). CONCLUSION: Results revealed a significant association between serum vitamin D and phosphorous with RLS. However, further prospective cohort studies and clinical trials are needed for better understanding of the relationship between these variables.

Key Findings

A total of 36 studies involving 9590 participants were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. We found that serum vitamin D level is significantly lower (WMD -3.39 ng/mL; 95% CI, -5.96 to -0.81; P = 0.010; I2 = 86.2%) and phosphorous (SMD 0.19; 95% CI, 0.04-0.34; P = 0.011; I2 = 83.6%) is significantly higher in RLS individuals compared to the non-RLS individuals. However, the mean difference of serum calcium was not significant in comparison between RLS and control groups (SMD -0

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size 9590
Age Range See abstract
Condition deficiency

MeSH Terms

  • Calcium
  • Humans
  • Observational Studies as Topic
  • Prospective Studies
  • Restless Legs Syndrome
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin D Deficiency

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: calcium

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09