title: Estrogen raises the sweating threshold in postmenopausal women with hot flashes.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if estrogen ameliorates hot flashes by raising the core body temperature sweating threshold, by reducing core body temperature fluctuations, and/or by reducing sympathetic activation (as measured by plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol).
  
  
  METHODS
  Laboratory physiological study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University medical center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four healthy postmenopausal women reporting frequent hot flashes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned, in double-blind fashion, to receive 1 mg/d 17beta-estradiol orally or placebo for 90 days.
  
  
  METHODS
  Core body temperature, core body temperature fluctuations, mean skin temperature, sternal sweat rate, laboratory hot flash counts (sternal skin conductance), plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The E(2) group had significant increases in plasma E(2) (8 +/- 2 vs. 132 +/- 22 pg/mL) and core body temperature sweating threshold (37.98 +/- 0.09 vs. 38.14 +/- 0.09 degrees C) and decreases in plasma FSH (58.8 +/- 8.9 vs. 40.1 +/- 7.6 mIU/mL) and hot flashes (1.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 0.6 +/- 0.6). These changes did not occur in the placebo group. There were no significant changes in any other measure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  E(2) ameliorates hot flashes by raising the core body temperature sweating threshold, but does not affect core temperature fluctuations or plasma 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. aa2613@wayne.edu
authors.forename: Robert R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Freedman
authors.forename: Charla M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Blacker
mesh_terms: D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol / Q000097:blood; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D013546:Sweating / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013686:Telemetry
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol; D008734:Methoxyhydroxyphenylglycol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone