NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - People who suffer from leg syndrome may be more likely to think about suicide or may actually plan to end their lives, a recent study found.
The legs restlessness syndrome causes an uncontrollable desire to move the legs, usually due to an uncomfortable sensation. This desire increases in the evening, or at night, when the person is sitting or lying down.
The syndrome can occur at any age, and generally worsens with age. It can cause sleep disturbance, which affects the performance of daily activities.
"People with this syndrome usually say that when they lie down," they feel uncomfortable in their legs, in addition to an urgent need for movement, "says Brian Ku, associate professor of neurology at Yale University, who co-authored the study." They are not allowed to stay on the bed. "
"This often means that the patient can not get enough sleep at night, and that lack of sleep can very well lead to depression and suicide," Ku said.
According to a report in the Journal of Sleep Medicine, the Ku team could not confirm that leg syndrome caused people to think of suicide, but what they could say was a link between the two.
"The conclusion is that the syndrome is associated with serious psychological consequences, including suicide or attempted suicide," Ko said.
The researchers noted that leg syndrome is relatively common, spreading among about three percent of adults in the United States.
"The study is consistent with previous studies that show that different types of sleep disorders are related to suicide thinking," said Peter Frenzen, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh.
