title: Menopausal hot flushes do not associate with changes in heart rate variability in controlled testing: a randomized trial on hormone therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare in controlled cardiovascular autonomic function tests the effects of hormone therapy (HT) on heart rate variability (HRV) responses in postmenopausal women with and without pretreatment hot flushes.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized placebo-controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Finland, Helsinki University Central Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 150 recently postmenopausal and healthy women with prospectively evaluated hot flushes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Women (72 with and 78 without hot flushes) were randomized to receive estradiol alone or in combination with medroxyprogesterone acetate or placebo for 6 months. Time and frequency domain measures of HRV were assessed at baseline and after HT with short-term recordings during paced quiet and deep breathing and with active orthostatic tests, both under carefully controlled laboratory conditions to avoid confounding factors present in long-term ambulatory HRV measurements.
  
  
  METHODS
  Responses of time and frequency domain measures of HRV to HT.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline HRV was similar in women with and without hot flushes. Pretreatment hot flushes did not associate with changes in time domain parameters of HRV during controlled quiet or deep breathing or active orthostatic tests after different types of HT. However, HT reduced HRV in very low frequency power in women with pretreatment hot flushes (from 371 ± 40 to 258 ± 28 ms(2) , p = 0.018). HT did not have an effect on other frequency domain measures during quiet breathing or active orthostatic tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hormone therapy did not significantly modify the HRV responses in women with or without hot flushes under controlled short-term measurements of the cardiovascular autonomic nervous system.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: Hanna
authors: H
authors: Hautamäki
authors: Tomi S
authors: TS
authors: Mikkola
authors: Anssi R A
authors: AR
authors: Sovijärvi
authors: Päivi
authors: P
authors: Piirilä
authors: Petri
authors: P
authors: Haapalahti
mesh_terms: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D020249:Hormone Replacement Therapy; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies
chemical_list: D003271:Contraceptive Agents, Female; D004967:Estrogens; D004958:Estradiol; D017258:Medroxyprogesterone Acetate
keywords: Hot flush; autonomic nervous function; heart rate variability; menopause; vasomotor symptoms