Erection woes tied to restless leg issues

BOSTON, Jan. 1 (UPI) -- Erectile dysfunction is more common in older men with restless leg syndrome than in those without the condition, U.S. researchers found.

Dr. Xiang Gao of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital said data were collected from 23,119 men who participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up study, a large ongoing U.S. cohort of male dentists, optometrists, osteopaths, podiatrists, pharmacists and veterinarians.

Participants were between the ages of 56-91, with a mean age of 69 years. To reduce possible misclassification of restless legs syndrome participants with diabetes and arthritis were excluded.

Study participants were questioned in 2002 about restless leg syndrome diagnosis and severity based on the International Restless Leg Syndrome study group criteria. Restless leg syndrome was defined as having unpleasant leg sensations combined with restlessness and an urge to move, with symptoms appearing only at rest, improving with movement, worsening in the evening or at night compared with the morning, and occurring five or more times per month.

The study, published in the journal Sleep, found about 4 percent of participants had restless leg syndrome and about 41 percent had erectile dysfunction. Men with restless leg syndrome were older and were more likely to be Caucasian. The prevalence of erectile dysfunction also increased with age.