Moderate to severe hot flushes in healthy postmenopausal women were associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness compared to no hot flushes (0.67 vs 0.61 mm; p=0.034).
Cross-Sectional (n=110)
Are moderate to severe hot flushes associated with increased subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy recently postmenopausal women?
Moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms in recently postmenopausal women are associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors.
Absolute Event Rate: 0.67% vs 0.61%
p-value: p=0.034
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether menopausal symptoms are associated with changes in arterial structure and function in healthy, recently postmenopausal women. METHODS: One hundred and ten postmenopausal women aged 45-55 years were included in the present cross-sectional study. Menopausal symptoms were recorded by the Greene Climacteric Scale. Anthropometric measures, blood pressure, serum lipids, glucose, insulin, sex and thyroid hormones were determined in each individual. Arterial structure, function and stiffness were assessed by intima-media thickness (IMT), flow-mediated dilation and pulse-wave velocity, respectively. RESULTS: Women with moderate to severe hot flushes had increased IMT compared to women with no or mild hot flushes (IMT in women with no hot flushes 0.61±0.08 mm, IMT in women with mild hot flushes 0.62±0.11 mm, IMT in women with moderate to severe hot flushes 0.67±0.11 mm; p = 0.034). This difference was independent of cardiovascular risk factors like age, menopausal age, smoking, blood pressure, adiposity, lipid levels, insulin resistance or hormone levels. No association was detected between psychological or psychosomatic symptoms and arterial indices. Furthermore, menopausal symptoms were not associated with serum sex steroids or thyroid hormone levels. CONCLUSIONS: Carotid IMT, a surrogate marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk, was found to be increased in women with vasomotor symptoms as compared to asymptomatic women. This association was independent of cardiovascular risk factors or endogenous hormone levels. It remains to be elucidated whether the presence of menopausal symptoms is an additional cardiovascular risk factor requiring preventive intervention.
Lambrinoudaki et al. (Thu,) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy, recently postmenopausal women (n=110). Moderate to severe hot flushes vs. No or mild hot flushes was evaluated on Intima-media thickness (IMT) (p=0.034). Moderate to severe hot flushes in healthy postmenopausal women were associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness compared to no hot flushes (0.67 vs 0.61 mm; p=0.034).