Do not underestimate if you have legs that are always moving or restless legs syndrome, always wanted to move back and forth or kicking while sleeping. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) occurs most often in middle-aged adults and older. Stress makes it worse and vice versa disrupted sleep because of this syndrome causes the risk of stress. The cause is unknown in most patients.
Research shows patients with restless legs syndrome 2 times more vulnerable to heart attack. “This disorder does not cause heart attacks, but could be a hint of risk factors that need to watch out for,” said Dr. Arshad Jahangir, a cardiologist from the Mayo Clinic Arizona, as quoted from Dailymail, Wednesday (06/04/2011).
Restless leg syndrome is a neurological disorder (nerve) which causes the foot will move even when they was sleeping. This disorder is one of the factors triggering the stress due to greatly reduce the quality of sleep.
But the relation with heart health is not because this syndrome can cause stress. Moreover, patients with restless legs syndrome tend to have thickening of the tissue lining the wall of the heart so as not fluent in pumping blood.
A study at the University of California San Francisco show, thickening of the heart wall tissue at 45 percent experienced by patients with restless legs syndrome who moves his feet more than 35 times during the night. The fewer moves, the smaller the risk of thickening.
In a continuous observation for 3 years, patients with restless legs syndrome who experienced thickening in the heart tissue 2 times more at risk of heart attacks and even death. While the legs did not move much while sleeping, their heart is relatively safe.
The study, by Dr. Ralph Brindis of 584 patients with restless leg syndrome, and presented at the American College of Cardiology conference in New Orleans recently. One of the institutions that finance them are the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.