Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: distinct patterns of menopausal vasomotor symptoms (VMS).Nearly 44% of women started having VMS approximately 11 years before their final menstrual period.Among them, VMS declined in approximately 42.3% and persisted at high frequency in 57.5% of women.Approximately 29% of women experience HFls toward the end of menstrual period with later decline, while 27% of women experience HFls at a persistently low frequency.Studies have found that despite having distressing symptoms, only one out of every four women with menopausal VMS actually seeks medical advice.14,15 Risk FactorsThough several factors have been associated with an increase in incidence of HFls, consistent association has been found only with (1) obesity, (2) African descent, (3) lower socioeconomic status, IntroductIonMore than 80% of women experience hot flashes (HFls) during menopause.Defined by transient sensations of heat, sweating, flushing, anxiety, and chills lasting for 1-5 minutes.HFls can cause considerable distress, especially when severe and frequent.1,2 However, these are often ignored due in part to their relatively benign nature.In this review, we discuss epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, as well as management of menopausal HFls. EpIdEmIologIcal FEaturEsBetween 80 and 90% of ladies suffer from HFls during menopause.HFls also affect 55% of ladies as they approach menopause (as suggested by onset of menstrual disturbances), with a mean age range of 45-55 years worldwide and a mean age of 46.6 years [95% confidence interval (CI): 44.83-48.44years] in India. 2 Both frequency and intensity of HFls increase as ladies approach menopause.These become most bothersome close to menopausal transition and then decrease gradually as duration of menopause increases.[3][4][5][6][7] In one longitudinal study, 5 average duration of HFls was estimated to be 5 years and 2 months.On the contrary, Hunter et al. 8 and Avis et al. 9 reported HFls to last for a median time of 88 months.Politi et al. 6 conducted a meta-analysis (n = 35,455) and reported that HFls persist for an average duration of 48 months.HFls may persist long after menopause.The proportion of women with HFls 10 and 20 years after cessation of menses is reported to be 33 and 8%, respectively.10,11 Different authors have shown that continental and national boundaries affect prevalence of HFls, with highest frequency found in Turkish women (97%), followed by Australian (83%), European (76.5%), and North American (58.8%) in that order.HFls are reported by 47% of women living in South America and 45% of women in Asia.12 Tepper et al. 13 (n = 1,455) reported four 1-
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7147074877