Vasomotor symptoms and cardiovascular risk

Abstract

Climacteric complaints are the main indication for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) in the clinical practice. Observational studies demonstrating a protective effect of HRT on cardiovascular disease (CVD) were conducted in early menopausal, young, symptomatic women. Vasomotor symptoms correlate with lower level of plasma antioxidant activity, an increased cardiovascular reactivity to stressful situations, elevated cholesterol, higher sympathetic nerve activity, impaired flow-mediated dilation, hypertension and a higher risk of aortic calcification. All the available findings indicate that hot flushes can be seen as a marker for underlying vascular changes among mid-life, otherwise healthy, climacteric women. Thus, young, healthy symptomatic postmenopausal women differ from those without vasomotor symptoms with regard to cardiovascular risk factors. Therefore, responses to HRT can change in terms of cardiovascular outcomes according to the baseline vasomotor complaints. This point may explain, at least in part, the negative/null effects of HRT on cardiovascular disease observed in the trials where HRT was given to largely asymptomatic, elderly women.

Increased mood symptoms in postmenopausal women related to the polymorphism rs743572 of the CYP17 A1 gene

“…Clearly, all these conditions are steroid hormone and age-related in which genetic background may have a pivotal role over disease development and outcomes. Reports show that women with severe hot flushes have increased cardiovascular risk [31]. We did not find an association between the CYP polymorphism and hot flush severity as others have [8,32], rather a relation with intensity of mood symptoms.…”

The effects of personality traits on quality of life

“…This conclusion is parallel to other studies in the literature. 46,47 It is stated that the effects of exercise on cardiovascular disease and vasomotor symptoms are very positive. In Turkey, the rate of women who are doing exercise is very low.…”

Mind-body therapies for menopausal symptoms: A systematic review

“…This dramatic rise in chronic disease risk likely in part reflects the abrupt hormonal alterations, especially the decline in estrogen levels that occur during this period, along with the associated constellation of atherogenic, neuroendocrine, and metabolic changes linked to the insulin resistance syndrome. Menopause is associated with activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system [25], factors that have been linked not only to the development and exacerbation of menopausal symptoms [7, 75], but also to the etiology and progression of CVD [25, 76] and osteoporosis [77–78]. In fact, recent research suggest that vasomotor and other climacteric are strongly related to health functioning [79] and to adverse CVD profiles [75–76], and may themselves be important markers for chronic disease risk, reflecting changes in underlying health status [75–76].…”

“…Yoga, tai chi, meditation, and other relaxation therapies have been reported to reduce sympathetic activity, decrease sympathoadrenal reactivity, and enhance parasympathetic output [7, 25, 94], which may, in turn, reduce the prevalence and severity of vasomotor disturbances, sleep impairment, and other common menopausal symptoms [7, 75]. Mind-body practices may also attenuate climacteric symptoms by improving other indices of psychological and physical health.…”