Genetic Defect may lead to Insomnia say Scientists

Posted on July 21, 2007 in Uncategorized

A new research suspects Genetic Defects as a possible cause of Insomnia in certain people. Researchers at the Emory University School of Medicine in America have identified a gene variant that makes those who carry it 70-80% per cent more likely to suffer from restless legs syndrome (RLS), a condition that often leads to sleep disorders and Insomnia.

David Rye, MD, PhD, professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine, director of the Emory Healthcare Program in Sleep, said,

“We now have concrete evidence that RLS is an authentic disorder with recognizable features and underlying biological basis. This is the most definitive link between genetics and RLS that has been reported to date. We have known for quite some time that the majority of RLS patients have a close family member with the disorder, and now we have found a gene which is clearly linked to RLS.”

Dr. Rye and deCODE Genetics scientist Dr. Hreinn Stefansson conducted four-year long joint study and genome-wide scans of nearly 1,000 Icelanders and 188 Americans. They observed that the gene variant is very common – nearly 65 percent of the American population carries at least one copy of the variant. Two copies of the variant more than doubles one’s risk of experiencing RLS.

However, Dr. Rye says, its not necessary that having two copies of the genetic variant will ensure you RLS.

He says “There remain yet-to-be-identified medical, environmental or genetic factors that appear necessary to translate genetic susceptibility into RLS symptoms.”

Restless legs syndrome is a condition that produces an intense, often irresistible urge to move the legs and is a major cause of insomnia and sleep disruption. RLS affects approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population and about one percent of school-aged children. The discovery provides strong new evidence that RLS is a genuine syndrome, a fact which has recently been the subject of some debate. RLS researchers have known for some time that anemia and low iron levels contribute to more severe RLS symptoms. The current study revealed the gene variant to be more common in Icelandic subjects deficient in iron.

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