Duration of Menopausal Hot Flushes and Associated Risk Factors

• DOI: 10.1097/aog.0b013e318214f0de
• Publication Date: 2011-04-21T07:33:50Z
• Authors: Ellen W. Freeman; Mary D. Sammel; Hui Lin; Ziyue Liu; Clarisa R. Gracia
• Keywords: Adult; Time Factors; Kaplan-Meier Estimate; Middle Aged; Health Surveys; United States; White People; 3. Good health; Black or African American; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Risk Factors; Hot Flashes; Humans; Female; Self Report; Menopause; Follow-Up Studies; Proportional Hazards Models

In Brief OBJECTIVE: To estimate the duration of moderate-to-severe menopausal hot flushes and identify potential risk factors for flush duration. METHODS: The Penn Ovarian Aging Study cohort was monitored 13 years. Hot were evaluated at 9-month to 12-month intervals through in-person interviews. primary outcome estimated by survival analysis (n=259). Potential included stage, age, race, reproductive hormone levels, body mass index (BMI), current smoking. A secondary women who reported any (n=349). RESULTS: median 10.2 years strongly associated with stage onset. that started near entry into menopause transition had a greater than 11.57 years; onset in early 7.35 (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.94–8.89; P<.001); late postmenopausal stages 3.84 CI 1.77–5.52; P<.001). most common ages 45–49 (median duration, 8.1 95% 5.12–9.28). African American longer white adjusted analysis. CONCLUSION: considerably exceeded timeframe is generally accepted clinical practice. identified factors, particularly BMI, are important consider individualizing treatment evaluating risk-to-benefit ratio hormones other therapies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II exceeds significantly