Hot Flashes and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Indices Among Women With HIV

Mabel Toribio1, Evelynne S Fulda1, Sarah M Chu1

  • 1Metabolism Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

Insights

Women with HIV experience more hot flashes, which are linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. This study found higher hot flash burden in women with HIV and a connection to CVD risk factors.

Area of Science:

  • Women's Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Cardiovascular Medicine

Background:

  • Women with HIV (WWH) face increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, particularly during the menopausal transition.
  • Hot flashes are a common menopausal symptom and have been associated with CVD risk in the general population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between hot flash burden and cardiovascular disease risk indices in women with HIV.
  • To compare hot flash burden between women with and without HIV.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study comparing WWH and women without HIV.
  • Assessment of hot flash burden and various CVD risk indices.

Main Results:

  • Women with HIV reported a higher burden of hot flashes compared to women without HIV.
  • Among WWH, a greater hot flash burden was associated with specific CVD risk indices.

Conclusions:

  • Hot flash burden is elevated in WWH and is associated with increased cardiovascular risk.
  • Further research is warranted to explore the mechanisms linking hot flashes and CVD in WWH.

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