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Previous population-based studies evaluating the association between restless legs syndrome (RLS) and cardiovascular risk factors have showed inconsistent results, especially for the relationship between RLS and hypertension. We, therefore, aimed to meta-analyze to assess the association between RLS and hypertension. PubMed and Embase databases were systematically searched to identify eligible studies. Nine population-based cross-sectional studies were selected for inclusion, involving 102,408 individuals. Overall, the prevalence of hypertension in RLS subjects was higher than those without RLS (OR = 1.36, 95% CI, 1.18-1.57, P = 0.043). Our findings indicate that RLS is associated with increased blood pressure. More large-scale and prospective studies are warranted to further clarify the relationship and its potential mechanism.

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Background Many studies have described the relationship between kidney stones and stroke, but the results are controversial, so we conducted this meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between kidney stones and the risk of developing stroke. Methods Studies were marked with a comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, Google, and ISI Web of Science databases through 25 March 2020. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were extracted, and a random-effects model or fix-effects model was used to compute the pooled combined risk estimate. Heterogeneity was reported as I2. We performed subgroup and sensitivity analysis to assess potential sources of heterogeneity. Results Eight studies of seven articles involving 3,526,808 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, kidney stones were associated with a moderate risk of stroke incidence (HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.11–1.40; I2=79.6%; p=0.000). We conducted a sensitivity analysis by removing the studies that had a high risk of bias. Heterogeneity subsequently decreased significantly, while an increased risk of stroke in patient with kidney stones was again demonstrated (HR, 1.16; 95% CI, 1.11–1.23; I2=28.7%; p=0.000). Stratifying analysis showed that the results were more pronounced for ischemic stroke (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08–1.22; I2=15.6%; p=0.00) and the follow-up duration ≥10 years (HR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.10–1.27; I2=31.6%; p=0.003). Conclusions Our meta-analysis suggests that patients with kidney stones may have a modestly increased risk of developing stroke, especially in ischemic stroke. More large-scaled and clinical trials should be done to identify the relative impact of kidney stones on stroke outcomes in the future.