Restless Legs SyndromeA new study suggests that 23 percent of people suffer from the restless legs syndrome (RLS), which exceeds the known rates of between 3 and 10 percent.

RLS causes uncomfortable sensations in the legs during rest, resulting in an uncontrollable urge to move your legs for relief. The cause is unknown, but investigators suspect an imbalance in dopamine, a chemical in the brain that regulates movement. Treatment includes drugs that increase dopamine activity.

The new study, presented this week in San Diego, California, suggests that blacks do not suffer four times more than African Americans SPI. And two out of five Caucasian women have RLS, which is four times the incidence of RLS in African American women and the highest incidence in all groups.

“Some risk factors of restless legs syndrome were more common in women,” said Dr. Ammar Alkhazna, University of Missouri. “Women are more likely than men to have iron deficiency and have rheumatoid arthritis, which are two risk factors for RLS,” he added.

The results come from a study of 190 patients selected in consultation with primary care clinic, where they were examined by the SPI. Of these, 103 were African American and 87 non-African Americans, mostly Caucasians. The 60 percent of both groups were women. The median age was 53 years for African Americans and 50 years for non-blacks.

Among non-African Americans, the definitive diagnosis of RLS was at 36 percent and negative 64 percent. In African Americans, the final diagnosis was 12 percent, likely in the 4 percent, negative in 83 percent and uncertain at 1 percent.

“This is the first study that shows an amazing difference in the prevalence of RLS in different ethnic groups. This reflects a combination of factors, including genetic predisposition to RLS, diet (with iron intake), medications, and perhaps culture, “Alkhazna told Reuters Health.