title: Vasomotor symptoms in women and cardiovascular risk markers: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
abstract: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of the observational or interventional studies assessing the association of vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) with various cardiovascular risk markers (systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), hypertension, total cholesterol, body mass index (BMI), and measures of subclinical atherosclerosis), in peri-menopausal, menopausal, or postmenopausal women. Eleven unique studies were identified with data available on 19,667 non-overlapping participants. Pooled analysis showed that women with hot flushes, compared to those without, tended to have significant higher levels of SBP (mean difference (MD): 1.95 mmHg (95%CI, 0.27 to 33.63)), and DBP (MD 1.17 mmHg (95%CI, -0.21 to 2.54)) and higher odds of having hypertension (OR: 1.18, 95%CI: 0.93 to 1.51), albeit non-significant. Similarly, women who reported night sweats compared to those who did not, had significant higher levels of SBP, (MD: 1.33 mmHg (95%CI, 0.63 to 2.03)), DBP (MD: 0.55 mmHg (95%CI, 0.19 to 0.91)), total cholesterol (MD: 0.17 mmHg (95%CI, 0.03 to 0.31)) and
  0.64 mmHg (95%CI, 0.47 to 0.80)). Vasomotor symptoms in women were not associated with measures of subclinical atherosclerosis. Women with vasomotor symptoms may have an unfavorable cardiovascular risk profile compared to women without vasomotor complaints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Oscar H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.muka@erasmusmc.nl.
authors.forename: Taulant
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Muka
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Office NA-2914, Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2040, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Veronica
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Colpani
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Setor
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kunutsor
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Susmita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health & Primary Care, Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB1 8RN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maryam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kavousi
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013546:Sweating / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002784:Cholesterol
keywords: Body mass index; Cardiovascular risk markers; Hot flushes; Hypertension; Night sweats; Vasomotor symptoms