Duration of Menopausal Hot Flushes and Associated Risk Factors

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To estimate the duration of moderate-to-severe menopausal hot flushes and identify potential risk factors for hot flush duration. METHODS The Penn Ovarian Aging Study cohort was followed for 13 years. Hot flushes were evaluated at 9-month to 12-month intervals through in-person interviews. The primary outcome was the duration of moderate to severe hot flushes, estimated by survival analysis (N=259). Potential risk factors included menopausal stage, age, race, reproductive hormone levels, body mass index (BMI) and current smoking. A secondary analysis included women who reported any hot flushes (N=349). RESULTS The median duration of moderate to severe hot flushes was 10.2 years and was strongly associated with menopausal stage at onset. Hot flushes that commenced near entry into the menopause transition had a median duration >greater than 11.57 years; onset in the early transition stage had a median duration of 7.35 years (95% CI 4.94, 8.89), P<0.001); and onset in the late transition to postmenopausal stages had a median duration of 3.84 years (95% CI: 1.77, 5.52), P<0.001. The most common ages at onset of moderate-to-severe hot flushes were 45–49 years (median duration 8.1 years; 95% CI 5.12, 9.28). African American women had a longer duration of hot flushes than white women in adjusted analysis. CONCLUSIONS The median duration of hot flushes considerably exceeded the time frame that is generally accepted in clinical practice. The identified risk factors, particularly menopausal stage, race, and BMI, are important to consider in individualizing treatment and evaluating the risk to benefit ratio of hormones and other therapies.

Hot flushes and night sweats symptom profiles over a 17-year period in mid-aged women: The role of hysterectomy with ovarian conservation

“…Two studies that have looked at duration of vasomotor symptoms and associated risk factors (in naturally menopausal women) both found that lower education levels were associated with longer durations [27,28]. Obesity was also a risk factor, but in white women only [28]; this association was not seen in a multi-ethnic cohort [27].…”

“…One of the strongest predictors of longer vasomotor symptom duration in studies of women who experienced natural menopause was if the symptoms began early in the menopause transition (premenopausal or perimenopausal) [27,28] . All of the women in our hysterectomy group had their surgery before they were 50 years old and likely to be in these early menopausal stages.…”

“…Two studies that have looked at duration of vasomotor symptoms and associated risk factors (in naturally menopausal women) both found that lower education levels were associated with longer durations [27,28]. Obesity was also a risk factor, but in white women only [28]; this association was not seen in a multi-ethnic cohort [27]. Neither study found an association between smoking and duration of symptoms [27,28]; this contrasts with our study where both past and current smoking was associated with constant symptoms patterns.…”

Self-perception of sexual life and associated factors: a population study conducted in women aged 50 or more years

“…As menopause is characterized by declining estrogen levels, which may lead to the development of symptoms that include hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, mood swings, insomnia, lethargy/fatigue, and irritability 2 , this may explain the deterioration in women's sexual life as reported in other studies 7,24,25 . Another factor associated with women's self-classification of their sexual life as very poor, poor or fair was current or past use of natural remedies to treat menopausal symptoms (p=0.035).…”

Possibilities of using melatonin in gynecology

“…Наконец, завершившееся в 2011 г. 13-летнее проспективное когортное исследование [8] уточнило медиану продол-жительности умеренно тяжелых и тяжелых приливов, которая составила 10,2 года, при-чем при включении в анализ лиц, испытыва-ющих легкие приливы, она возросла до 11,6 года. …”