In February 2020 researchers from France and Switzerland published the results of their study to assess the association between nocturnal leg cramps and a sedentary lifestyle among elderly patients. A total of 272 individuals, aged over 60 years, were included in the study. The individuals were matched into 136 pairs, whereby individuals with cramps were matched with individuals free from cramps, but were the same age, sex, and had the same medical history and medications known to trigger cramps. The level of physical activity was assessed in each individual and 11% were found to have a sedentary lifestyle. Results showed that, after adjusting for alcohol consumption, there was an association between nocturnal leg cramps and a sedentary lifestyle. The researchers concluded that their findings represented an additional argument to promote physical activity to patients over 60 years old.
Delacour C et a. Association between physical activity and Nocturnal Leg Cramps in patients over 60 years old: a case-control study. Sci Rep. 2020 Feb 14;10(1):2638.