Factors That May Influence the Experience of Hot Flushes by Healthy Middle-Aged Women

Abstract

Background: Interest in menopausal symptoms in general and hot flushes (HFs) in particular has grown in recent years. This is mostly due to increased awareness and the vast impact these symptoms have on women's lives. Despite the high prevalence of women who experience HFs, a definitive etiology for HFs is yet to be found. Our objective was to review the current literature dealing with associated factors for experiencing HFs and to provide a synthesized overview on this common and often debilitating condition. Methods: We systematically searched the English-language literature in the PubMed database using relevant key words and included only those articles that contained information on associated factors for HFs in generally healthy midlife women. Results: Both conflicting scientific results between studies documenting factors that influence HFs and the lack of validated measuring tools make it difficult to truly pinpoint associated factors for HFs. Nonetheless, we identified the following clusters of associated factors: the menopausal stages, sex steroid hormones, other endocrine agents, genetic polymorphisms, race=ethnicity, body mass index (BMI) and obesity, mood disorders, smoking, soy isoflavones and phytoestrogens, alcohol consumption, and physical activity. Conclusions: No single associated factor was consistently identified as having a major role in experiencing HFs. More resources should be directed to develop a unified study system along with multivariable analyses to get a better understanding of this condition, which often imposes a tremendous social and personal toll on the women who experience it.

Hot Flashes in Adolescence and Young Adult Females: a Link to Vitamin D and Calcium

“…Regarding factors that exacerbate HFs in adolescents and young females, psychological stress was the main exacerbating factor followed by before menstrual cycle and weather/ room temperature. These findings indicate that characteristic of HFs in adolescents and young adult females vary greatly which consistent with previously published report in healthy middle-aged women in the time when first experienced HFs ( 31 ).…”

Hot Flashes in Adolescence and Young Adult Females: a Link to Vitamin D and Calcium

“…Regarding factors that exacerbate HFs in adolescents and young females, psychological stress was the main exacerbating factor followed by before menstrual cycle and weather/ room temperature. These findings indicate that characteristic of HFs in adolescents and young adult females vary greatly which consistent with previously published report in healthy middle-aged women in the time when first experienced HFs ( 31 ).…”

Phthalate metabolite levels and menopausal hot flashes in midlife women

“…However, it likely involves hormone levels. In our current study and in other epidemiological studies, low levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with hot flashes [20, 23, 24, 56]. Further, several experimental studies indicate that phthalate exposures decrease both estradiol and progesterone levels [3, 4, 15–17].…”

Negative affect symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and vasomotor symptoms during perimenopause

“…36 Because of the numerous interactions between thyroid hormones and most body systems, as well as their major role in metabolism, the relationship between thyroid hormones and VMS requires further investigation. 34 The hypothesis that women with higher levels of negative affect and, specifically, higher rates of AS, would be more bothered by VMS was confirmed in our study. Moreover, adjusting for biological variables (FSH and TSH), perimenopausal stage, and psychotropic medication use, the association with AS remained significant.…”

“…Longitudinal studies have also found an association between perimenopausal stage and VMS, reporting increased frequency and severity in the late perimenopausal stage. 32,34 In the adjusted analysis, however, perimenopausal stage was not associated with VMS problem rating, which was also reported by Freeman et al 6 Several other studies have also reported an association between the frequency and severity of VMS and FSH levels. 1,34 Since VMS occur in the context of the reproductive hormone changes in the menopausal transition (declining estrogen levels and rising FSH levels, which stabilize in the late transition and postmenopause), it can be inferred that women with higher FSH levels would have more frequent and bothersome VMS.…”

Hot Flashes in Adolescence and Young Adult Females: a Link to Vitamin D and Calcium

“…Regarding factors that exacerbate HFs in adolescents and young females, psychological stress was the main exacerbating factor followed by before menstrual cycle and weather/ room temperature. These findings indicate that characteristic of HFs in adolescents and young adult females vary greatly which consistent with previously published report in healthy middle-aged women in the time when first experienced HFs ( 31 ).…”

Phthalate metabolite levels and menopausal hot flashes in midlife women

“…However, it likely involves hormone levels. In our current study and in other epidemiological studies, low levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with hot flashes [20, 23, 24, 56]. Further, several experimental studies indicate that phthalate exposures decrease both estradiol and progesterone levels [3, 4, 15–17].…”

Negative affect symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and vasomotor symptoms during perimenopause

“…36 Because of the numerous interactions between thyroid hormones and most body systems, as well as their major role in metabolism, the relationship between thyroid hormones and VMS requires further investigation. 34 The hypothesis that women with higher levels of negative affect and, specifically, higher rates of AS, would be more bothered by VMS was confirmed in our study. Moreover, adjusting for biological variables (FSH and TSH), perimenopausal stage, and psychotropic medication use, the association with AS remained significant.…”

“…Longitudinal studies have also found an association between perimenopausal stage and VMS, reporting increased frequency and severity in the late perimenopausal stage. 32,34 In the adjusted analysis, however, perimenopausal stage was not associated with VMS problem rating, which was also reported by Freeman et al 6 Several other studies have also reported an association between the frequency and severity of VMS and FSH levels. 1,34 Since VMS occur in the context of the reproductive hormone changes in the menopausal transition (declining estrogen levels and rising FSH levels, which stabilize in the late transition and postmenopause), it can be inferred that women with higher FSH levels would have more frequent and bothersome VMS.…”

Hot Flashes in Adolescence and Young Adult Females: a Link to Vitamin D and Calcium

“…Regarding factors that exacerbate HFs in adolescents and young females, psychological stress was the main exacerbating factor followed by before menstrual cycle and weather/ room temperature. These findings indicate that characteristic of HFs in adolescents and young adult females vary greatly which consistent with previously published report in healthy middle-aged women in the time when first experienced HFs ( 31 ).…”

Phthalate metabolite levels and menopausal hot flashes in midlife women

“…However, it likely involves hormone levels. In our current study and in other epidemiological studies, low levels of estradiol and progesterone are associated with hot flashes [20, 23, 24, 56]. Further, several experimental studies indicate that phthalate exposures decrease both estradiol and progesterone levels [3, 4, 15–17].…”

Negative affect symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, and vasomotor symptoms during perimenopause

“…36 Because of the numerous interactions between thyroid hormones and most body systems, as well as their major role in metabolism, the relationship between thyroid hormones and VMS requires further investigation. 34 The hypothesis that women with higher levels of negative affect and, specifically, higher rates of AS, would be more bothered by VMS was confirmed in our study. Moreover, adjusting for biological variables (FSH and TSH), perimenopausal stage, and psychotropic medication use, the association with AS remained significant.…”

“…Longitudinal studies have also found an association between perimenopausal stage and VMS, reporting increased frequency and severity in the late perimenopausal stage. 32,34 In the adjusted analysis, however, perimenopausal stage was not associated with VMS problem rating, which was also reported by Freeman et al 6 Several other studies have also reported an association between the frequency and severity of VMS and FSH levels. 1,34 Since VMS occur in the context of the reproductive hormone changes in the menopausal transition (declining estrogen levels and rising FSH levels, which stabilize in the late transition and postmenopause), it can be inferred that women with higher FSH levels would have more frequent and bothersome VMS.…”