Restless Leg Syndrome May Indicate CV Disease

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) can be an indicator of lower physician function, including cardiovascular disease and hypertension, according to a new study.

To examine the potential long-term impact of RLS on physical function, researchers completed a longitudinal analysis of 12,556 men in the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study. The questions assessed focused on sleep complaints including insomnia, sleep fragmentation, and excessive daytime sleepiness. The answers were compared to the Physical Function (PF-10) survey.
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Results: Participants with RLS at baseline had significantly lower PF-10 scores 6 years later than those without RLS. Having daily daytime sleepiness and duration of ≥9 hours/day was associated with a lower mean PF value than not having those symptoms.

Neurologist Sanford Auerbach said that RLS should be considered a meaningful biomarker for serious disease. Primary care providers should use it as a tool to identify patients at risk.

Reference:

 Zhang C, Li Y, Malhotra A, et al. Restless legs syndrome status as a predictor for lower physical function. Neurology. 2014 Mar 5. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000000284