Intense hot flashes after menopause heighten metabolic syndrome risk in women: Study

Women who experience more severe hot flashes after menopause are more likely to develop metabolic syndrome and high blood pressure, according to research presented at the 25th European Congress of Endocrinology in Istanbul. The findings of this long-term study highlight the importance of using hormone replacement therapy for menopause in these women.

Metabolic syndrome is a group of three or more conditions that occur together, which increase the risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. These conditions include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. After menopause, women are at a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease.

In this study, researchers from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens examined 825 healthy women aged 40-65 years, who had recently gone through menopause, at Aretaieion University Hospital Athens in Greece. They monitored these women over the course of 15 years, between 2006 and 2021, and found that those with moderate to severe hot flashes were more likely to develop hypertension and metabolic syndrome. Additionally, women who developed hypertension or metabolic syndrome were diagnosed earlier when experiencing more severe hot flashes compared to those who had no or milder cases of hot flashes.

Symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats can start around the time of menopause and can last up to 10 years. However, hormone replacement therapy - medication that contains hormones which the body can no longer make after menopause - can be used to treat menopausal symptoms and protect long-term health, especially in women who have moderate to severe hot flashes.

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The study “The severity of hot flashes is associated with the risk for incident metabolic syndrome and new-onset hypertension after the menopause” will be presented on Sunday 14 May 2023 at the European Congress of Endocrinology at the Halic Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey.