Restless Legs May Increase Early Death Risk

Men with restless legs syndrome may have a higher risk of early death, a new study suggests. The study included 18,425 older men. Their average age was 67. The study did not include anyone who had diabetes, arthritis or kidney failure at the start of the study. About 4% had restless legs syndrome. During the next 8 years, 2,765 men died. Death rates were 39% higher for those with restless legs syndrome than for other men. Researchers then adjusted the numbers to account for several factors that can affect death risk. These included obesity, exercise habits and smoking. The higher death risk for men with restless legs syndrome dropped to 30%. But when researchers excluded men with major diseases such as cancer and heart disease, the effect of restless leg syndrome on death rates increased.