MedWire News: Study results show that hot flashes in menopausal women are associated with increased carotid intima–media thickness (IMT), a marker for subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD).

Many studies have found that hot flashes are linked to indices of cardiovascular risk, but until now, none has examined relations between hot flashes and carotid IMT.

Rebecca Thurston (University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA) and colleagues analyzed data from 411 healthy menopausal women without CVD at study entry who had taken part in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation Heart Study.

The researchers performed analysis of interviews, physical measurements, blood samples, and ultrasound assessment of carotid IMT at study entry and at 2-year follow-up.

Hot flashes were significantly associated with carotid IMT at baseline and at follow-up after adjusting for age, study site, race, education, body mass index, smoking, systolic blood pressure, lipids, glucose, diabetes, CVD, hormone therapy, and menopausal status.

Women who reported hot flashes at both time points had significantly increased IMT compared with women reporting no hot flashes at either visit.

These associations were still significant after adjusting for serum estradiol concentrations.

“These findings further support the emerging literature linking hot flashes to CVD risk,” said Thurston.

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