Cutaneous and hemodynamic responses during hot flashes in symptomatic postmenopausal women.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the postmenopausal hot flash is accompanied by rapid decreases in arterial blood pressure and increases in cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), as evaluated by continuous measurements of these variables in symptomatic women.


METHODS
Twelve healthy, normotensive, postmenopausal women rested in a temperature-controlled laboratory (26 degrees C) for approximately 90 minutes. The onset of a hot flash was objectively identified as a transient and pronounced elevation of sternal sweat rate (capacitance hygrometry).


RESULTS
Twenty-three hot flashes were recorded during the experimental sessions (3.4 +/- 1.4 min; range, 1.3-6.5 min). Mean arterial blood pressure decreased 13 +/- 2 mm Hg during 11 hot flashes in five participants. Data from these participants, categorized as responders, were analyzed separately from data for those participants whose blood pressure did not change during their hot flashes (n = 7, 12 hot flashes). Heart rate (obtained from an electrocardiogram) significantly increased during the hot flashes, but there was no difference between the responder and nonresponder groups (9 +/- 2 vs 10 +/- 1 beats/min, respectively; P > 0.05). The increase in CVC was not different between groups at either the forearm (15% +/- 3% vs 12% +/- 3% maximal CVC, P > 0.05) or sternum (24% +/- 5% vs 21% +/- 3% maximal CVC, P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data demonstrate that in a subset of participants, the hot flash is accompanied by a significant reduction in blood pressure, but there is no difference in CVC between these women and women with no drop in blood pressure.
Low
David A
DA
Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, Dallas, TX 75231, USA. craigcrandall@texashealth.org
Davis
Scott L
SL
Keller
David M
DM
Shibasaki
Manabu
M
Crandall
Craig G
CG
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D013542:Sweat / Q000502:physiology
Mayo Clin Proc. 2002 Nov;77(11):1207-18
12440557
J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2003 Jul-Aug;32(4):455-64
12903695
N Engl J Med. 2004 Oct 7;351(15):1577-9
15470224
J Appl Physiol. 1975 Mar;38(3):499-503
1150563
Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1981 Sep;88(9):925-30
7272265
J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1984 Jul;57(1):191-6
6469780
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1985 Jun;60(6):1081-6
3998060
Maturitas. 1985 Nov;7(4):315-27
4079828
J Appl Physiol (1985). 1999 Apr;86(4):1185-90
10194201
Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1989;27(1):34-7
2920971
J Am Acad Dermatol. 1988 Aug;19(2 Pt 1):309-13
3049691
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1990;592:52-86; discussion 123-33
2197954
BMJ. 1993 Oct 2;307(6908):836-40
8401125
Exp Gerontol. 1994 May-Aug;29(3-4):319-36
7925752
Gynecol Obstet Invest. 1994;38(3):206-9
8001877
Sleep. 1994 Sep;17(6):497-501
7809562
Fertil Steril. 1996 Jun;65(6):1141-44
8641487
Maturitas. 1996 Mar;23(2):147-57
8735353
Maturitas. 1996 Oct;25(2):87-98
8905599
Fertil Steril. 1998 Aug;70(2):332-7
9696230
J Pain Symptom Manage. 1998 Nov;16(5):327-33
9846028
Lancet. 1999 Feb 13;353(9152):571-80
10028999
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1999 Mar;180(3 Pt 2):S312-6
10076170
J Reprod Med. 2001 Mar;46(3 Suppl):317-24
11304879
J Pain Symptom Manage. 2000 Jun;19(6):436-45
10908824
Oncol Nurs Forum. 2002 Apr;29(3):E16-25
11979290
J Clin Oncol. 2001 Dec 1;19(23):4280-90
11731510
Psychophysiology. 1989 Sep;26(5):573-9
2616704