Chilliness: a vasomotor symptom in Japan

Area of Science:

• Reproductive endocrinology
• Nutritional science
• Cross-cultural health studies

Background:

• Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) like hot flushes are common during menopause.
• Cultural differences exist in symptom perception and reporting.
• The role of dietary factors, such as soy isoflavones, in menopause symptomology requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare Japanese and biomedical concepts of VMS.
• To investigate the prevalence of chilliness (hieshō) in Japanese women.
• To examine the relationship between chilliness, menopause status, other VMS, and soy isoflavone intake.

Main Methods:

• Healthy Japanese women (45-55 years) in Kyoto and Fukushima were recruited.
• Menopause status was determined by menstrual patterns.
• Symptom recall, dried blood spots for isoflavone concentration, and dietary records for soy intake were collected and analyzed.

Main Results:

• Chilliness (hieshō) was reported by 29.3% of participants, exceeding hot flush prevalence (3.0%-22.1%).
• Chilliness prevalence significantly differed across menopause stages.
• Negative correlations were observed between chilliness and isoflavone concentrations, and between sweating and soy isoflavone intake.

Conclusions:

• Chilliness appears to be a more prominent VMS than hot flushes in Japanese women.
• Differing thermoregulatory physiology, potentially influenced by dietary soy, may underlie these observations.
• Further research into cultural and dietary influences on menopause symptoms is warranted.