More Fat, More Hot Flashes
September 28, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
Women who get bigger as they approach menopause may experience more hot flashes. A new study by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, says that more fat equals more hot flashes during menopause. The findings were published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
For four years, researchers followed 1,659 women ages 47 to 59 years. They found that women who gained fat were more likely to suffer hot flashes.
Since heart disease is more of a threat to women after menopause, maintaining a proper weight is more important than ever. Plus, weight management may come with the added benefit of fewer hot flashes.
Unfortunately, the exact cause of hot flashes isn’t known, but experts think it has something to do with changes in circulation. If you suffer from hot flashes, stay cooler by avoiding stress and fabrics that don’t breath well. Avoiding caffeine, alcohol, hot beverages and spicy foods may help reduce severity of hot flashes.
(Image via flickr/MaryTClark)
That’s interesting… I would think overweight women would actually have fewer hot flashes because body fat is releasing estradiol into the system. But I guess something else is at work. Hmm.. I just looked at Women to Women’s hot flash article and found this description of what is physiologically happening during a hot flash — “the body needs to dispel heat, causing it to send out signals for blood vessels to dilate, heart rate to increase, and sweat glands to open”. As the study suggests, circulations problems could cause the hot flash to be worse. Interesting stuff! Here’s the link to the entire article — worth a read — The real causes of hot flashes & night sweats
Interesting stuff. I know my mom was having very intense hot flashes, as well as night sweats. There would be times when we would be out at a restaurant and I would be freezing and she would be fanning herself with a menu. She’s been doing much better since starting bioidentical hormones. I don’t remember exactly who the physician is that she saw, but it’s definitely made an improvement (mood swings as well). Here is a link to the site she found:
http://www.bodylogicmd.com/for-women/hot-flashes-and-hormones