Periodic leg movements in sleep in essential hypertension

The presence of periodic leg movements in sleep (PLMS) was assessed in 91 subjects diagnosed with essential hypertension. More than 18 per cent of the sample had PLMS, which is considerably higher than in normal controls. Also, the prevalence was significantly correlated with the severity of hypertension, as well as with age. Periodic leg movements in sleep were more frequent in the first few hours of the sleep period and during sleep stages 1 and 2. The arousing effect of PLMS was minimal, with only 17 per cent of all events related to an EEG arousal. Our results suggest that PLMS are common in people with essential hypertension, although they do not seem to be associated with any particular sleep disorder.