Study offers hope to women suffering menopause hot flushes and night sweats

A woman’s insulin levels in midlife are linked to when menopausal hot flushes begin and how long they last, new research suggests.

The study found that higher insulin levels at age 47 predicted younger onsets of hot flushes and night sweats, as well as longer durations of these symptoms.

Researchers drew on data from a US study that followed women from a pre- or perimenopausal baseline over 10 years.

Using metabolic measurements collected from participants at age 47, they tested how metabolic traits at this point related to physiological features of the menopausal transition.

Faria Athar, lead author of the study, said: “Higher insulin at age 47 was also associated with longer durations of hot flushes and cold sweats, and a rise in testosterone levels across the menopausal transition.”

Hot flushes, night sweats and cold sweats, collectively known as vasomotor symptoms, affect around 75 per cent of women during the menopausal transition.

Vasomotor refers to the narrowing and widening of blood vessels, which causes these sudden temperature changes.

These symptoms can appear two years before a woman’s final period and persist for as long as 10 years beyond it.

They do not affect all women equally, with age of onset, severity and duration varying considerably. Prior research shows factors such as race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status play a role.

Nicole Templeman, assistant professor of biology at the University of Victoria, said: “Given that insulin may be elevated in the early stages of metabolic disorders, we decided to investigate whether insulin levels prior to menopause might inform the incidence and severity of menopause symptoms.”

The researchers found that insulin levels and body mass index at 47 were both predictors of vasomotor symptom timing and duration.

The strongest statistical association was between higher insulin or BMI and a younger onset of hot flushes.

The analyses showed insulin may be a stronger predictor of hot flushes when taking other metabolic variables into account, while BMI appeared more closely linked to changes in oestrogen levels.

Athar said: “These findings help us to fill some of the gaps in our understanding of menopause symptoms and why their severity varies for different women.”