health
Restless legs syndrome linked to heart problems
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 18, 2011
Patients with restless legs syndrome have an increased risk of cardiac events due to frequent sleep disturbances, according to a report presented April 3 at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session.
Researchers examined 584 patients with a clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome who were referred to the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona for an overnight sleep study. The study measured participants' leg movements and found that 45% had more than 35 twitches an hour. Fifty-five percent had 35 or fewer twitches each hour.
Patients with frequent leg movement were more likely to have left ventricular hypertrophy than those with fewer twitches, the study said. Participants with frequent leg movement also were more likely to be older and have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease.
Educating health professionals about the relationship between restless legs syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy could help prevent cardiovascular problems in patients with repeated muscle twitching in their legs, the study said.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2011/04/18/hlbf0418.htm.
