Hot flashes may be more than just a woman feeling the heat – they may also be increasing a woman’s risk of heart disease.  Hot flashes, typically associated with menopause is when a woman may have a quick feeling of intense heat along with sometimes a red, flushed face and sweating.  Up to 70% of women experience hot flashes with a third describing them as frequent or severe.  Now a new study has discovered a link between women who get frequent hot flashes during menopause who may be susceptible to vascular dysfunction which can lead to heart disease.

Menopause is a natural occurrence during a woman’s life that usually begins sometime during the ages of 40s to 50s.  It is due to the natural decline of reproductive hormones, specifically estrogen and progesterone.  These hormones help to regulate the menstrual cycle but will begin to decline during the menopausal age range.  Other starts to menopause can be if a woman has a hysterectomy, chemotherapy, or primary ovarian insufficiency. 

This research published in the journal Menopause, looked at the link between hot flashes and endothelial function.  The endothelium is a layer of cells that line the inside of blood vessels.  Endothelial dysfunction is considered an important predictor of and considered to be the first stage of atherosclerosis.  Atherosclerosis is a form of cardiovascular disease affecting the blood vessel’s ability to dilate and contract.  When this dysfunction of the endothelium is not treated, then atherosclerosis which clogs arteries can develop into more serious problems of a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.

Researchers from the study examined 272 women between ages 40 and 60, who did not smoke or have a history of heart disease.  The women reported the frequency of their hot flashes which ranged from daily to none at all. 

Women in the study were monitored for physiologic signs of hot flashes along with an evaluationof their endothelial function by using an ultrasound measurement of the flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of their brachial artery.  Flow-mediated dilation is known as an effective means to evaluate endothelial dysfunction and for early detection of atherosclerosis and for determining the efficacy of treatment. 

To assess an association between hot flashes and FMD, linear regression models were used to calculate this.  What the researchers found was no association between hot flashes and vascular dysfunction in older women between the ages of 54 and 60.  But, for women between the ages of 40 and 53 who were having hot flashes, there was an association with endothelial dysfunction suggesting that younger women with hot flashes may have poor vascular function.

Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society gave her opinion that hot flashes have been linked to cardiovascular, bone, and brain health.  She also stated that hot flashes appear to be linked to changes in the cardiovascular system occurring early during the menopause transition.

The findings from this study offer important information for healthcare providers on assessing a woman’s risk of heart disease leading up to and during menopause.