Research has revealed that men with Restless Leg Syndrome, or RLS, are more prone to Erectile Dysfunction, or ED.

Results have been able to reveal that ED is nearly 16% more likely in men with RLS frequency of 5 to 14 times a month, and in men who suffer bouts of RLS 15 times or more per month are 78% more prone to the dysfunction.

The associations found were independent of age, BMI, use of any anti-depressants, anxiety or any other possible risk factors for RLS.

As per the results, it seems likely that the two disorders share some common grounds or mechanisms, stressed Xiang Gao, research scientist at the Harvard School of Public Health. "The mechanisms underlying the association between RLS and erectile dysfunction could be caused by hypofunctioning (less than optimum functioning) of dopamine in the central nervous system, which is associated with both conditions", he said.

As many as 53% of RLS patients reported ED, in contrast with 40% study participants without RLS who had ED.