Hot f lushes? You may have higher risk of strokes and heart attack
WOMEN who suffer from hot flushes and night sweats in later life may be at greater risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Up to four in five menopausal women suffer the misery of these symptoms, which last for seven years on average.
A scientific review has now found women who have severe hot flushes are 83 per cent more likely to suffer from angina or have a heart attack or stroke.
Those with severe night sweats see their risk increase by 59 per cent.
When women go through the menopause, their levels of oestrogen dramatically drop, and some experts believe those with the least oestrogen suffer night sweats and hot flushes. That may explain why women with these symptoms are at greater risk of heart attacks and strokes, as a lack of oestrogen also causes stiffness of the arteries which leads to these problems.
Researchers analysed six studies, including more than 23,000 women, which looked at the two major symptoms of menopause.
Hot flushes and night sweats are known by doctors as ‘vasomotor symptoms’ or VMS.
Review co-author Dr Dongshan Zhu, of the University of Queensland in Australia, said: ‘Until now, it’s been unclear if VMS is associated with cardiovascular disease, but now we know it to be true.
‘VMS before menopause increases a woman’s chance of cardiovascular events by 40 per cent.’
The review, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, found women whose flushes and night sweats were mild still had a 70 per cent higher risk of angina, stroke or heart attack.
Those who suffered frequent night sweats had a 29 per cent higher risk of these cardiovascular problems and those who only occasionally did were 22 per
‘Further research is needed’
cent more likely. The researchers found this even when they took into account women’s weight and if they had high blood pressure and smoked.
The study’s senior author Professor Gita Mishra, also from the University of Queensland, said: ‘This research helps to identify women who are at a higher risk for the development of cardiovascular events and who may need close monitoring in clinical practice.’
Haitham Hamoda, chairman of the British Menopause Society, and a consultant gynaecologist at King’s College Hospital, said: ‘This study provides important and interesting findings, and suggests that hot flushes and nights sweats may mark adverse underlying vascular changes among peri-menopausal and menopausal women.
He added: ‘Further research is needed to assess the mechanism behind this vascular response to allow a better understanding of this association.’