• Paul Sebo, Dagmar M Haller, Céline Kaiser, Armita Zaim, Olivier Heimer, Nicolas Chauveau, and Hubert Maisonneuve.
• Primary Care Unit, Faculty of medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
• Fam Pract. 2022 Jan 19; 39 (1): 85-91.

BackgroundAlthough nocturnal leg cramps are common, little research is available about their impact on quality of life. This mixed-methods study explored the impact of nocturnal leg cramps on health-related quality of life (HRQoL).MethodsThe study included primary care patients (>50 years) who reported suffering from nocturnal leg cramps (2016-2017). In the quantitative phase, patients completed a questionnaire about their HRQoL (SF-36) and the frequency of their cramps, and we computed the SF-36 scores. Then, we conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with patients with various levels of HRQol to explore their perception of the impact of cramps on their lives.ResultsA total of 114 patients (49%) agreed to participate in the quantitative study (mean age: 71, women: 62%) and 15 patients were included in the qualitative study (mean age: 69, women: 67%). The number of cramps in the previous week was low (mean: 1.6 (SD 1.5)). The SF-36 mean physical and mental summary scores were 43 and 50, respectively, and the domain scores were similar to a comparative general population. Whilst some patients reported little interference with their daily lives, others reported a major decrease in their HRQoL. SF-36 scores were not sufficient to describe the cramp-related impairment, as patients from all levels of SF-36 scores reported major impacts of NLC in the interviews.ConclusionsSome patients describe a specific impact of cramps on their lives, regardless of their HRQoL. These patients should be the target of future intervention trials.© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved.For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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