Could restless legs be factor in early death?

It’s unclear why the sleep-sapping syndrome would raise that risk

Insomnia is no longer the only cause for concern in people who have restless leg syndrome.

Though the nuisance condition, which causes leg spasms when people are fatigued, has kept the sandman at bay, new research in the journal Neurology by Xiang Gao, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health, shows that men with the condition faced a 40% higher risk of dying prematurely than other men.

“It brings recognition to RLS, which is largely unrecognized and under-diagnosed,” Gao says.

The study tracked more than 18,000 men in their late 60s or older for eight years. It found a higher percentage with restless leg syndrome died in that period than among those without the syndrome.

The exact cause for the disorder or why it would raise a person’s risk of dying earlier than normal has yet to be determined. That, Gao says, “is the next question to answer.”

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders, about 10% of the American population may have the disorder, though the majority remain undiagnosed. In earlier research, Gao found women are more likely to develop RLS, which is linked to a higher risk of developing heart disease.

Other studies tell a different story. An analysis of four earlier studies in late 2012 from researchers in the USA and other nations found that RLS didn’t raise the odds that someone might die earlier than normal.

Uncovering the explanation for RLS and its effects has proved tricky, especially when considering patients with multiple conditions. The answer will reveal itself only with more research and time, says William Ondo, professor of neurology at the University of Texas’ Health Science Center.