Hot flushes are associated with cardiovascular risk: Study

Severe, lasting hot flushes during menopause are associated with atherosclerosis in the coronary artery, new research from Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals.

Forty percent of the women who participated in the study and who reported severe hot flushes also had atherosclerosis of the coronary artery, a condition that entails a higher risk of myocardial infarction. In the group of women who reported no or only mild discomfort, the corresponding figure was barely 30%.

The results come from a population study conducted by researchers at Karolinska Institutet and Linköping University.

"Our findings support the hypothesis that there's an association between hot flushes and an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease, corroborating a previous US study," says Karin Leander, docent of epidemiology at the Institute for Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institutet.

"We hope that when women troubled by severe hot flushes seek help, the health care services pay attention to their risk of cardiovascular disease too. It's important for this group of women to have access to preventative care."

The population study was conducted on the back of surveys sent to women between the ages of 50 and 65, the results of which were correlated with examinations of the women's coronary artery using an advanced imaging technique called coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) under the major SCAPIS study. A total of 3,000 women were examined, one sixth of whom reported current or previous severe hot flushes.

"We will now be taking our research further and, for instance, examining if there is any association between estrogen supplements and the risk of future cardiovascular and dementia diseases," says Karin Leander.