Hot flashes in women may increase risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s

70 per cent of mid-life women report experiencing vasomotor symptoms, more often referred to as hot flashes. Not only do they interfere with a woman’s quality of life, but they have also been related to physical health risks

Hot flashes, one of the most common symptoms identified during the menopause transition, may increase the risk of heart disease and Alzhimer’s in women, according to two studies.

Vasomotor symptoms, more often referred to as hot flashes, are with roughly 70 per cent of midlife women reporting them. Not only do they interfere with a woman’s quality of life, but they have also been related to physical health risks.

A study led by researchers University of Pittsburgh included 276 participants and utilised sternal skin conductance to physiologically assess hot flashes and tested whether more frequent physiologically assessed hot flashes are associated with heightened system inflammation.

Their findings showed physiologically assessed hot flashes during wake time were associated with higher levels of a high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, even after adjusting for potential explanatory factors such as age, education, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and oestradiol.

“This is the first study to examine physiologically measured hot flashes in relation to inflammation and adds evidence to a growing body of literature suggesting that hot flashes may signify underlying vascular risk and indicate women who warrant focused cardiovascular disease prevention efforts,” said lead author Mary Carson, from the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

A separate study on 250 midlife women, also led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh, showed that when hot flashes occur during sleep, it may be early indicators of a woman’s increased risk for Alzheimer’s. And, the more hot flashes, the greater the disease risk.

Women comprise two-thirds of individuals with Alzheimer’s, and there are a number of theories as to why this is true, with many focused on decreased oestrogen levels that occur during the menopause transition.

The new findings remained significant after additional adjustments for oestradiol and actigraphy-assessed sleep characteristics.

Hot flashes were measured objectively by using ambulatory skin conductance monitoring.

“Among other things, these findings indicate that women who experience frequent hot flashes, particularly during sleep, may warrant Alzheimer’s dementia risk reduction efforts,” said Rebecca Thurston, Director of Women’s Biobehavioral Health at the University’s Department of Psychiatry.

Both studies will be presented during the ongoing 2023 Annual Meeting of The Menopause Society in Philadelphia.

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