Is core temperature the trigger of a menopausal hot flush?

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Thermoregulation
• Menopause Research

Background:

• Menopausal hot flushes significantly impair quality of life.
• They may serve as indicators for cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk.
• Understanding the physiological triggers of hot flushes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of core body temperature increases in triggering menopausal hot flushes.
• To assess the contribution of elevated core temperature to the occurrence of hot flushes.

Main Methods:

• Objective assessment of 108 hot flushes in 72 postmenopausal women in a laboratory setting.
• Continuous measurement of sweat rate, skin blood flow, blood pressure, heart rate, and skin/core temperature.
• Comparison of thermoregulatory responses between postmenopausal and premenopausal women during passive heating.

Main Results:

• Only 51% of spontaneous hot flushes were preceded by a significant core temperature increase.
• During mild heat stress, 76% of hot flushes were preceded by a core temperature rise.
• While sweating thresholds were similar, postmenopausal women had a higher vasodilatory threshold compared to premenopausal women.

Conclusions:

• Menopausal hot flushes are unlikely to be triggered solely by increases in core body temperature.
• These findings offer critical insights into hot flush physiology.
• The results have implications for developing improved treatment and management strategies for menopausal hot flushes.