UCB has unveiled data from a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, which found that Neupro (Rotigotine Transdermal System) reduced total nocturnal systolic blood pressure (NSBP) elevations associated with periodic limb movements during sleep (PLMS) and total PLMS in patients with idiopathic moderate-to-severe Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS)/Willis-Ekbom disease.
The data showed that rotigotine reduces PLMS and relates total nocturnal systolic blood pressure (NSBP) elevations in patients with RLS.
Research has found that episodic nocturnal blood pressure excursions coincide with PLMS, possibly increasing the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Emory University School of Medicine Neurology professor David Rye said that the association of RLS with cardiovascular risk suggests that the disorder has unintended bed fellows.
"The data demonstrate the potential impact of Neupro upon nocturnal blood pressure elevations that coincide with periodic limb movements, a sign present in nearly all RLS patients," Rye added.
RLS is an often misdiagnosed and undertreated condition.
PLMS occur in up to 90% of patients with RLS, and autonomic activation, associated with PLMS, has been linked to blood pressure increases in the RLS patients.
