News in brief - April 18, 2011

Diabetes testing drops among poor and minority adults - Restless legs syndrome linked to heart problems

Diabetes testing drops among poor and minority adults

The number of poor adults being tested for diabetes complications such as diabetic neuropathy, retinopathy and vascular and kidney disease is declining nationwide, according to data released March 30 by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Between 2002 and 2007, annual examinations for blood glucose levels, dilated eyes and foot problems among low-income diabetes patients 40 and older dropped from 39% to 23%.

The three tests for middle-income adults in the same age group dropped 41% to 33% during the five-year period. Tests for high-income adults remained stable at 52%.

Prevalence of the tests dropped from 43% in 2002 to 32% in 2007 among blacks, 34% to 27% among Hispanics and 43% to 39% among whites. In inner cities, incidence of the tests fell from 45% to 33%, regardless of race or ethnicity, according to the data from AHRQ's 2010 National Healthcare Disparities report (www.ahrq.gov/qual/nhdr10/nhdr10.pdf).

Restless legs syndrome linked to heart problems

Patients with restless legs syndrome have an increased risk of cardiac events due to frequent sleep disturbances, according to a report presented April 3 at the American College of Cardiology's 60th Annual Scientific Session.

Researchers examined 584 patients with a clinical diagnosis of restless legs syndrome who were referred to the Sleep Disorders Center at the Mayo Clinic in Arizona for an overnight sleep study. The study measured participants' leg movements and found that 45% had more than 35 twitches an hour. Fifty-five percent had 35 or fewer twitches each hour.

Patients with frequent leg movement were more likely to have left ventricular hypertrophy than those with fewer twitches, the study said. Participants with frequent leg movement also were more likely to be older and have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease.

Educating health professionals about the relationship between restless legs syndrome and left ventricular hypertrophy could help prevent cardiovascular problems in patients with repeated muscle twitching in their legs, the study said.