Findings also show that restless legs syndrome is associated with diabetes, excessive weight, advancing age, low socioeconomic status and a generally decreased feeling of well-being. More than 1,800 Kentuckians responded to the study, making it the largest prevalence survey on restless legs syndrome ever done in the United States, Phillips said. The study has national implications, said Catherine Murray, a spokeswoman for the Minnesota-based Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. People with the syndrome complain of burning, itching or tingling sensations in their legs or feet. The symptoms are worst at night, causing uncontrollable twitches, tics or kicks of the legs, feet or toes that can make sleep all but impossible.
Frequency varies from a few episodes a month to almost nightly.
The cause is unknown, but is thought to stem from problems in the central nervous system. Some 10 percent of people 30-79 and 19 percent of those older than 80 answered yes. The overall age-adjusted prevalence was 10 percent, a rate that compares closely with restless legs studies in Canada and Germany. Previous studies suggest that women are more likely than men to have the syndrome. See a doctor for a checkup that could include a test for the presence of diabetes, and changing any medications that might contribute to sleep problems.