[The menopause. Vasomotor flushing: physiopathology and treatment]

Considered for a long time as an unavoidable phenomenon secondary to a sudden reduction in hormones, the vaso-motor flushes of menopause have generated, these past few years, a renewal of interest for two reasons: 1) A better knowledge of the etiological mechanisms and experimental and therapeutic observations lead to believe at the present time that their origin is at a central level (hypothalamus) with upsetting of the balance of the cerebral neuro-transmitters; this upsetting seems to be the common mechanism of occurrence of the sudden flushes and the hormonal disorders observed during this phenomenon. 2) The possibility to use (beside the classical hormonal means) non hormonal products, especially Veralipride, which acts directly at the level of the cerebral neuro-transmitters.