Current alcohol use is associated with a reduced risk of hot flashes in midlife women.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relation between current alcohol use, estradiol, estrone, and testosterone levels, and hot flashes in midlife women using a case-control study design.


METHODS
Cases were midlife women (45-54 years) who reported ever experiencing hot flashes. Controls were midlife women (45-54 years) who reported never experiencing hot flashes. Each participant completed a questionnaire and provided a blood sample that was used to measure estradiol, estrone, and testosterone levels by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
The results indicate that current alcohol use (at least one day per month) was significantly associated with a reduced risk of hot flashes compared to non-use of alcohol, independent of age and smoking habits. The hot flashes experienced by current alcohol users were less severe and less frequent than those experienced by non-users of alcohol. Further, current alcohol users had similar levels of estradiol, estrone, and testosterone compared to non-users of alcohol.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that current alcohol use is associated with a reduced risk of any, severe, and frequent hot flashes in midlife women by a mechanism that may not include changes in sex steroid hormone levels.
Schilling
Chrissy
C
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Program in Toxicology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 660 West Redwood Street, Howard Hall Room 133, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA.
Gallicchio
Lisa
L
Miller
Susan R
SR
Babus
Janice K
JK
Lewis
Lynn M
LM
Zacur
Howard
H
Flaws
Jodi A
JA
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002979:Climacteric / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol