Effect of Gabapentin on reduction of hot flash in menopausal women

In Brief Objective: To estimate the association of anxiety with menopausal hot flashes in the early transition to menopause. Design: A randomly identified, population-based cohort of midlife women followed up for 6 years to assess reproductive hormones and other physical, emotional, and behavioral factors. At enrollment, the women were premenopausal, aged 35 to 47 years, and had regular menstrual cycles in the normal range. Enrollment was stratified to obtain equal numbers of African American (n = 219) and white (n = 217) women. Results: At the 6-year endpoint, 32% of the women were in the early transition stage and 20% reached the late menopausal transition or were postmenopausal. Reports of hot flashes increased with the transition stages, which were determined by bleeding patterns. At endpoint, hot flashes were reported by 37% of the premenopausal women, 48% of those in the early transition, 63% of women in the late transition, and 79% of the postmenopausal women. Anxiety scores were significantly associated with the occurrence of hot flashes and were also significantly associated with the severity and frequency of hot flashes (each outcome at P < 0.001). Compared with women in the normal anxiety range, women with moderate anxiety were nearly three times more likely to report hot flashes and women with high anxiety were nearly five times more likely to report hot flashes. Anxiety remained strongly associated with hot flashes after adjusting for menopause stage, depressive symptoms, smoking, body mass index, estradiol, race, age, and time. In a predictive model, anxiety levels at the previous assessment period and the change in anxiety from the previous assessment period significantly predicted hot flashes (P < 0.001). Conclusions: Anxiety is strongly associated with menopausal hot flashes after adjusting for other variables including menopause stage, smoking, and estradiol levels. Anxiety preceded hot flashes in this cohort. Additional studies are needed to examine the duration of menopausal hot flashes and to determine whether treatments that target anxiety effectively reduce menopausal hot flashes. Anxiety is strongly associated with reports of menopause hot flashes. Anxiety preceded the hot flashes in this cohort, and the association remained after adjusting for other important factors including menopausal stage, smoking, depressive symptoms, and estradiol levels. These findings suggest that anxiety may be a potential target in the clinical management of hot flashes.

Hot flash

Surgical Menopause

10.1097/01.gme.0000142440.49698.b7

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Non-Hormone Alternative Against Hot Flashes

Ray Schilling

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Hot flashes in breast cancer survivors and an association with calcium supplement use

International Journal of Women s Health (2010)

Gretchen Gretchen Kimmick Mara Z. Vitolins

Aims: In breast cancer survivors, we aimed to describe the frequency of hot flashes and night sweats, frequency and type of treatment, and the association of hot flashes and use of calcium supplements. Methods: Charts of breast cancer survivors were reviewed for information about hot flashes, treatment for hot flashes, and calcium supplementation. Associations between variables were explored using the Chi-square test and Fisher’s Exact test. Results: Eighty-six charts were reviewed. Mean age of the women was 58 years and 79% were postmenopausal. Forty-two (49%) of women had hot flashes and 18 (21%) had night sweats. Thirty-one (36%) were treated for hot flashes. Treatment included selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors/serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (n = 19), clonidine (n = 7), Bellergal-S ® (n = 8), sleep-aid (n = 7), and other (n = 5). Calcium supplementation was recorded in 31%. Of women with hot flashes, 44% took calcium supplements; of women without hot flashes, 18% took calcium supplements (Chi-square P = 0.02). Conclusion: Hot flashes were recorded in 49% of this group of primarily postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Women with hot flashes were more likely to be taking calcium supplements. Further exploration of the association between hot flashes and calcium supplementation is warranted. Keywords: hot flashes, breast cancer, calcium supplementation

Association (psychology)

10.2147/ijwh.s12335

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