Hot Flashes Linked to Cardiovascular Disease | October, 2009

It's not just a sign of aging anymore. Hot flashes are one of the tell-tale signs of hormonal imbalances such as perimenopause, menopause and andropause (the male menopause) - but how do they affect our long-term health? According to the ongoing research by the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN), hot flashes increase women's risk of heart disease and heart attacks. The study found that women experiencing hot flashes were more likely to have thickening of their carotid arteries (arteries responsible for supplying blood to the head and neck), resulting in heart attack, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. Studies also revealed that women with hot flashes also had a significant rise in cholesterol plaques, which in turn can block blood flow to the brain, resulting in a stroke. Although many other factors play a role in our cardiovascular health, such as diet and exercise, hormonal imbalances can wreak havoc on our bodies if we don't correct the underlying issues at their source. With the help of bioidentical hormones, women can not only relieve the symptoms associated with hormonal imbalance, such as hot flashes, but women can avoid the risk of age-related disease and ailment.