title: Oxidative stress and menopause-related hot flashes may be independent events.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  At present, there is growing demand for alternative, or additional, treatments to hormone replacement therapy for menopause-related hot flashes (HF). Antioxidant supplements have been recently proposed as possible candidates for this purpose, regardless of the absence of clear evidence in support of a link between these vasomotor symptoms and oxidative stress (OxS). The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between HF and OxS serum markers in a large sample of middle-aged women.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a cross-sectional study on 245 perimenopausal and early postmenopausal women (age 45-60 years). The variables examined were presence of self-reported HF and levels of 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α, 8-OH-deoxy-2'-guanosine, advanced oxidation protein products, total antioxidant power, uric acid, thiols, and paroxonase-1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-six women (31%) reported to suffer from HF (either medium or high intensity). None of the peripheral markers of OxS examined was found to be significantly associated with the presence of HF.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taken together, our data suggest that systemic OxS might not be implicated with the onset of the climacteric vasomotor symptoms that most commonly affect women experiencing perimenopause and early postmenopause.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonaccorsi
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cremonini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bergamini
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Castaldini
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Enrica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Fila
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hanau
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Section of Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massari
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Surgery and Experimental Medicine, Menopause and Osteoporosis Centre, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy; Department of Biomedical and Specialist Surgical Sciences, Section of Medical Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Genetics, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: crvcrl@unife.it.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cervellati
mesh_terms: D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D062107:Advanced Oxidation Protein Products / Q000097:blood; D000975:Antioxidants; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003849:Deoxyguanosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D019584:Hot Flashes / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008593:Menopause / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000502:physiology*; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds / Q000097:blood; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D062107:Advanced Oxidation Protein Products; D000975:Antioxidants; D013438:Sulfhydryl Compounds; D014527:Uric Acid; C075750:8-epi-prostaglandin F2alpha; D000080242:8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine; D015237:Dinoprost; D043303:Aryldialkylphosphatase; C468406:PON1 protein, human; D003849:Deoxyguanosine
keywords: hot flashes; menopause; oxidative stress; vasomotor symptoms