Gene Found That Could Contribute to RLS
In the New England Journal of Medicine it is reported that they have discovered a gene that could cause RLS or periodic limb movements in sleep. It goes on to say that in the search for sequence variants contributing to RLS they;
“… performed a genomewide association study and two replication studies. To minimize phenotypic heterogeneity, we focused on patients with RLS who had objectively documented periodic limb movements in sleep. We measured serum ferritin levels, since iron depletion has been associated with pathogenesis of RLS.”
It goes on to say that the conclusions they found were;
” We have discovered a variant associated with susceptibilty to periodic limb movements in sleep. The inverse correlation to the variant with iron stores is consistent with suspected involvement of iron depletion in the pathogenesis of the disease.”
They feel that with this discovery it may lead to new approaches for preventing or alleviating the symptoms asssociated with RLS.
I think this is a major breakthrough and wanted to share the good news. If you want to read the whole article look under the title of “A Genetic Risk Factor for Periodic Limb Movements in Sleep”
Kris
