Fewer Pounds May Mean Less Severe Hot Flashes

Middle aged women who are obese or overweight may suffer from major hot flashes accompanying menopause. A recent study shows that losing weight can reduce the severity of these unwanted body reactions. In the study the goal was for the participants to lose seven per cent and nine per cent of their weight. According to Dr. Alison Huang, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of California, San Francisco, “The message here is that there is something you can do about it (hot flashes).”

It is estimated that about one third of women suffer from hot flashes lasting for five years or more after menopause. They sometimes have a disrupted sleep pattern. The condition also interferes with work and other activities as well as causing anxiety and depression, according to the recent study. The participants had help in planning their menu and choosing the kinds of food they wanted to eat. They were asked to reduce their food intake to 1200 to 1500 calories per day. They were also encouraged to exercise for a minimum of 200 minutes per week. Each woman met with nutrition experts weekly for one hour. The control group received a monthly education class for four months.

When the groups were evaluated at the end of six months 49 per cent of those in the study group, compared to 41 per cent of those in the control group indicated there was a change with their hot flashes by at least one degree of improvement.

Dr. Elizabeth Poynor, an obstetrician-gynecologist with Lenox Hill Hospital, said that the findings are “good news.” She stated, “I think this study provides a ground work to look at it (hot flashes) in larger, more detailed and comprehensive studies.”