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Diminish Flab, Diminish Flashes Reduction in hot flashes may be linked to women’s weight loss 
Hot flashes or flushes may be the most common complaint among women experiencing menopause. Yet, these feelings of intense heat often accompanied by sweating and a rapid heartbeat may be more frequent for those who are obese or overweight. “In multiple observational studies, women with a higher body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared) have reported more frequent or severe hot flushes compared with women with a lower BMI,” write the authors of a study published in “Archives of Internal Medicine.” The study showed that women who lost weight and decreased BMI and abdominal circumference reported less hot flushes during the six months of the study. Actual weight loss is key. There were no significant associations between changes in hot flashes and changes in physical activity, calorie intake, blood pressure or overall self-reported physical and mental functioning. Dr. Alison J. Huang, an internal medicine professor at the University of California-San Francisco, along with her colleagues, studied 338 women with an average age of 53 who were overweight or obese and had urinary incontinence. During a six-month trial period, 226 of the participants were randomized to the intensive weight loss intervention and 112 to the control group. At the beginning of the study, about half of the women in each group reported that they were at least slightly bothered by flashes. According to the study’s background research, hot flushes are not only among the most common concerns of women during menopause, they may also persist for five or more years after the stage in as many as one-third of women. “Our findings indicate that women who are overweight or obese and experience bothersome hot flushes may also experience improvement in these symptoms after pursuing behavioral weight loss strategies. However, improvements in weight or body composition may not be the only mediators of this effect,” the study’s authors concluded. The study was co-funded by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, the Office of Research on Women’s Health and the National Center for Research Resources. |
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