Study Finds Genetics Could Be Linked with Restless Leg Syndrome

Hemera Technologies/Thinkstock(MUNICH, Germany) -- Restless leg syndrome is a condition characterized by uncomfortable sensations and the urge to move in the legs, mostly when in resting situations such as lying down to sleep.

By screening for gene variations between almost 5,000 patients with restless leg syndrome and over 7,000 healthy people, the authors of a German study published in PLoS Genetics identified two genetic variants that increased the risk of restless leg syndrome, one by 23 percent and the other by 35 percent.  

The authors, whose study was conducted at Technische Universität München in Munich, hope that identification of these genes will provide a good starting point for more thorough research into the causes of restless leg syndrome.

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio

Nighttime Leg Twitching Sign of Heart Problems?

Siri Stafford/Digital Vision(NEW YORK) -- New information finds that restless leg syndrome could be a sign of hidden heart problems.

Millions of Americans are thought to suffer nighttime muscle twitching of the legs and it wasn't always thought to be a big deal but Dr. Arshad Jahangir at the Mayo Clinic, where the research was conducted, says it can be linked to a thicker heart muscle.

Jahngir and others looked at 584 patients with the syndrome and found that those with more frequent twitching were more likely to have a thickening of the heart.

The link is not yet certain, but if you suffer from restless legs syndrome, Jahangir advises it's worth discussing with your physician.

“Not every patient who has frequent leg movement had ventricular hypertrophy,” Jahangir said, “so we need to understand more why some people get this type of thickening response and others not.”

Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio