In a recent medical study published in the journal Menopause, researchers found that women who experience hot flashes in younger midlife (age 40-53) may be at high risk for cardiovascular disease, regardless of their estrogen status. In other words, even if a woman’s estrogen level is good, if she experiences hot flashes early in life, she may be at high risk for a heart attack or stroke.
Hot flashes are not always a sign of low estrogen. Instead, they can also be a sign of vascular endothelial dysfunction or damage to the lining of blood vessels. Rupture-prone atherosclerotic plaques begin to form only after there is endothelial dysfunction. To learn more about your risk for cardiovascular disease, please read my previous health blog: http://www.thomashealthblog.com/?p=2522
