Menopausal hot flashes have traditionally been considered a bothersome quality of life issue for women. However, hot flashes are now recognized to be a potential marker of disease risk. Increased frequency and severity of hot flashes have been positively associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, subclinical CVD markers, clinical cardiovascular events, and CVD mortality. Recent data showed that a higher frequency of hot flashes (e.g. number per day) was associated with lower vascular endothelial function in women early in the menopausal transition. Habitual physical activity and high cardiorespiratory fitness are associated with many health benefits. However, the effectiveness of exercise to reduce hot flashes is equivocal, in part due to lack of objective assessments of hot flashes and physical activity. Further, surprisingly, the majority of the literature does not demonstrate a protective role of exercise training, habitual physical activity, or fitness on the reduction of endothelial dysfunction with menopause. These studies have not considered factors particular to midlife women, such as hot flashes, that may be associated with their vascular responsiveness to exercise. Therefore, the overall goal of the proposed studies is to determine whether habitual physical activity and exercise influence hot flash experience and whether habitual activity and hot flashes influence vascular function in peri-menopausal women.
The aims of our study are: 1) To quantify differences in hot flash experience in peri-menopausal women with high- and low- levels of habitual physical activity. 2) To subjectively and objectively quantify differences in hot flash experience following acute increases in physical activity and exercise in high- and low active peri-menopausal women. 3) To determine whether the relationship between subclinical CVD risk factors and hot flash experience differs by habitual physical activity status in peri-menopausal women. Cardiovascular disease risk rises dramatically over the transition to menopause. These studies will have a significant scientific impact because understanding the relationship between fitness, exercise, hot flashes, and preclinical CVD risk will improve knowledge of CVD risk in peri- menopausal women, which will advance efforts to monitor and mediate risk, optimize therapies, and improve the health of midlife women.
The research proposed is relevant to public health because cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the #1 cause of death among women and significant gaps in knowledge persist regarding the factors that increase CVD risk during the transition to menopause. The proposed research aims to produce new knowledge regarding the relationship between fitness, hot flashes and subclinical CVD risk. This knowledge will advance efforts to monitor and mediate risk, optimize therapies and improve the health of midlife women so that they can live longer, healthier and more fulfilling lives.
