Cancer and heart disease are the two major killers in the US and the world with the most common causes of heart disease resulting from blocked arteries caused by poor diet and lifestyle. Blocking of coronary arteries or the blood vessels that supply blood to the heart can result in atherosclerosis.
This is a hardening of the arteries with less blood being transported to the heart. It can result in heart attack or stroke. It's this condition which is a common cause of death in the USA where coronary heart disease kills about 366,000 people a year. A new study has now linked restless leg syndrome which is a sensorimotor disorder to heart-related deaths in women.
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Restless leg syndrome is a disorder of the nervous system that creates a constant and sudden urge to move the legs. It is also considered a sleep disorder by doctors because of its interference with sleep.
The study which was published in the Journal Neurology linked restless leg syndrome with heart problems in women. It indicated that the disorder affects up to 29% of adult living in North America and Western Europe where the prevailing rate in the US was found to be up to 15% of the population. The biggest problem of restless leg syndrome which affects both men and women is that there is no cure for the disorder.
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Most patients with restless leg syndrome tend to be women and elderly. The research led by Doctor Xiang Gao, associate professor of nutritional sciences at Pennsylvania State University found that the mortality rate of heart disease in women was linked to restless leg syndrome.
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When Gao and his team began studying data of 57,417 women provided by a Nurses health study, none of the women suffered any disease like renal failure, heart disease or cancer. The average age group of the women was 67 and the health of each one was monitored for 10 years.
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The study then found that those who developed restless leg syndrome possessed a greater risk by 43% of dying from cardiovascular disease in comparison to those who did not suffer from it. The study also showed that the longer the disorder affected the women, the greater the risk increased of them dying from CVD.
The study also found how those suffering from restless leg syndrome were at risk of contracting other diseases as well that included obesity and high blood pressure which also increase the risk of a CVD death.
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To eliminate the possibility that it was actually obesity and high blood pressure causing the problem, Gao included only women who did not suffer from such conditions. The study published on December 15th last year was an extensive one conducted over a period of ten years. As explained by Doctor Gao, this was the first time a study of this magnitude researched cause-specific death in women with RLS.
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Doctor Gao felt that though previous studies were inconclusive, this was more specific and could reach a conclusion. He stated that “We did find a significant association between RLS and increased cardiovascular death, and this became stronger after excluding patients with other associated comorbidities."
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In restless leg syndrome, people experience uncomfortable sensations felt in their legs. This is accompanied by irresistible impulse to move the legs constantly to relive the sensation. The sensation can range from an itchy feeling to pins and needles or creepy crawlies up and down the leg. These are manifested mostly at night or when lying down or sitting.
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The severity of RLS symptoms range from mild to unbearable but the severity isn’t constant and comes and goes. For many, the condition can disrupt night sleep and impair quality of life. Restless leg syndrome affects both men and women from any age. Even young children can be afflicted by it.
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Doctors are yet to establish a specific cause for RLS and attribute it to genes and there could also be other factor associated with the disease such as renal failure, diabetes, Parkinsons, and peripheral neuropathy. Some of the ways to control the condition is to improve sleep and avoid alcohol.
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Ingredients that can aggravate the disease further are coffee, alcohol and excess sugar. Moreover, one should not wear tight clothes and practice methods to get adequate and healthy sleep. Speak to your doctor about taking iron supplements or vitamin D that has been found to reduce symptoms of restless leg syndrome.
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