According to new research from the U.S. people who suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS) are twice as likely to have a stroke or heart disease.
Restless legs syndrome is identified by a strong and irresistible urge to move the legs that is often described as an itching, tugging or gnawing feeling; the symptoms are worse when resting, causing difficulty in falling or staying asleep.
The researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston conducted a large study involving 3,433 people with an average age of 68 who were enrolled in the Sleep Heart Health Study.
Participants were diagnosed with RLS by the use of a detailed questionnaire which included queries on whether they had been diagnosed with a variety of systemic diseases including cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease.
Almost seven percent of the women and three percent of men were found to have RLS and the researchers say compared to people without RLS, and the risk is greatest in those with the most frequent and severe symptoms.
The study which is the largest of its kind found that people with RLS were more than twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease or cerebrovascular disease and the researchers say the results remained the same after adjusting for age, sex, race, body mass index, diabetes, high blood pressure, high blood pressure medication, HDL/LDL cholesterol levels, and smoking.
Study author Dr. John W. Winkelman says the association of RLS with heart disease and stroke was strongest in those people who had RLS symptoms at least 16 times per month but there was also an increased risk among people who said their RLS symptoms were severe compared to those with less bothersome symptoms.