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Association between pulse wave velocity and hot flashes/sweats in middle-aged women
Ruwei Yang1, Yang Zhou1, Changbin Li1
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.
Insights
Hot flashes/sweats in menopausal women are linked to arterial stiffness. Increased severity of these symptoms correlates with higher brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Health
- Menopause Research
- Vascular Biology
Background:
- Aging women experience increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.
- Hot flashes/sweats are common during menopause and linked to CVD risk.
- The specific association between hot flashes/sweats and arterial stiffness remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between hot flashes/sweats and arterial stiffness.
- To determine if arterial stiffness is associated with the severity of hot flashes/sweats.
- To explore brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as a measure in this context.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the modified Kupperman index (KMI) questionnaire to assess hot flashes/sweats.
- Measured brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as an indicator of arterial stiffness.
- Employed one-way ANOVA and linear regression, adjusting for confounders.
Main Results:
- Prevalence of hot flashes was 41.77% in the study population.
- A significant difference in mean baPWV was observed across different severities of hot flashes/sweats (p < 0.001).
- baPWV showed a positive association with hot flash/sweat severity after adjusting for confounders (p = 0.01).
Conclusions:
- This study suggests a positive correlation between the severity of hot flashes/sweats and arterial stiffness.
- brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) may serve as an objective measure for hot flash severity.
- baPWV could be a predictor of arterial stiffness independent of traditional CVD risk factors in middle-aged women.
Abstract:
As women age and go through menopause, they suffer a higher incidence of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have shown that a relationship exists between hot flashes/sweats and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the association between hot flashes/sweats and arterial stiffness is unclear. We aim to explore the relationship between hot flashes/sweats and arterial stiffness using the modified Kupperman index (KMI) questionnaire and measure the brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV). The prevalence of hot flashes in our research was reported to be 41.77%. There was a statistically significant difference between the mean baPWV among groups that experienced different severities of hot flashes/sweats according to one-way ANOVA test (p < 0.001). The baPWV values were positively associated with the severity of hot flashes/sweats based on linear regression after adjusting for established cardiovascular confounders (95% CI: (5.86, 43.23), p = 0.01). To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first investigation to propose that baPWV may serve both as an objective index for evaluating the severity of hot flashes/sweats and as a predictor of arterial stiffness beyond Cardiac Vascular Disease (CVD) risk factors in middle-aged women.
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