Vasomotor Symptoms

According to SAEDNEWS, researchers reported that middle-aged women consistently suffering from well-known menopause symptoms are 50% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. "There is growing evidence that women with these severe symptoms seem to have other health issues as well. We need more research to understand the cause," said Monique Henderson, the senior researcher from Kaiser California's Research Center.

For this study, researchers analyzed data from over 2,700 women participating in a long-term national study on women's health in the United States. These women were of typical menopausal age, between 42 and 52 years old, and had been followed for about 17 years.

Approximately 28% of the women reported menopausal symptoms for one to five days over a two-week period, and 10% reported these symptoms six days or more per week. Researchers found that women with persistent hot flashes and night sweats—vasomotor symptoms—are 50% more likely to develop diabetes.

While there is no clear explanation for how these symptoms increase the risk of diabetes, researchers noted that there is evidence linking hot flashes and night sweats to a higher risk of heart disease. They pointed out that heart disease is sometimes associated with diabetes risk because both conditions involve inflammation, poor sleep quality, and weight gain.

Henderson said, "More research is needed to clarify the underlying mechanisms of vasomotor symptoms and why they are associated with adverse health risks." The team indicated that future studies should focus on women with more severe hot flashes and night sweats.

She added, "One of our next steps is to examine vasomotor symptoms in relation to other outcomes, such as cognition."