Vasomotor hot flushes and 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure in recently post-menopausal women.
BACKGROUND
Menopausal hot flushes may be a marker for a difference in vascular function. We studied the associations between hot flushes of varying severity and ambulatory blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR).


METHODS
A total of 147 women with onset of menopause within the preceding 6-36 months reported no hot flushes (n = 23) or mild (n = 33), moderate (n = 30), or severe (n = 61). Ambulatory BP and HR were registered for 24 hours. The variables, analyzed separately for day-time and night-time, were compared among the four study groups.


RESULTS
Hot flushes failed to show any relationship to mean day- or night-time BP, nocturnal dipping of BP, or HR. However, severe night-time hot flushes were accompanied by elevations in systolic BP (4.1 +/- 10.5 mmHg, P = 0.061), diastolic BP (3.1 +/- 6.8 mmHg, P = 0.032), and heart rate (3.0 +/- 7.2 beats/minute, P = 0.043).


CONCLUSIONS
Hot flushes are not associated with ambulatory BP or heart rate in normotensive, recently post-menopausal women, although severe night-time hot flush episodes are followed by significant elevations in BP and heart rate. The latter may be of clinical significance.
Tuomikoski
Pauliina
P
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Haartmaninkatu 2, Helsinki, Finland.
Haapalahti
Petri
P
Ylikorkala
Olavi
O
Mikkola
Tomi S
TS
D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D004970:Estrone; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone