Key Takeaways
Hot flashesare one of the most commonsymptoms of menopause.
Decreasing estrogen levels cause thehypothalamuswhich is basically the brains thermostatto overreact to even slight changes in body temperature.
When hot flashes occur at night, they are often callednight sweatsbecause a person wakes up drenched in sweat.
Siriporn Kaenseeya / EyeEm / Getty.
About 75% ofpeople going through menopausehave hot flashes.
On the other hand, some menopausal people never experience hot flashes, or only have very mild ones.
What were seeing is that thats probably not true.
They are, at a very minimum, telling us something aboutwomens cardiovascular healthand about brain health.
Many gynecologists are not trained in menopause care at all, said Thurston.
Were overlooking this whole menopause transition.
Why are hot flashes associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease?
The short answer, according to Thurston, is that we dont know.
Hot Flashes and the Brain
Brain fog is another common symptom of menopause.
In one of their studies, Thurston and colleagues looked at the brains of just over 200 middle-aged women.
Based on the findings, the researchers purposed that hot flashes could be a midlife marker of brain health.
Should You Worry About Your Hot Flashes?
If you get hot flasheseven frequent or severe onesyou dont necessarily need to panic.
I dont want this information to scare womenwomen are stressed out enough at midlife.
I dont want this information to scare womenwomen are stressed out enough at midlife, said Thurston.
But just use it as a signal to take care of yourself.
If youre a smoker, stop smoking, said Thurston.
Nows the time to start that exercise program.
Take your anti-hypertensive medications if you need them and get your diabetes treated.
Published online October 12, 2022. doi:10.1212/WNL.0000000000201401
