Frequent Hot Flashes and Heart Risk: What Two Large Studies Found

Hot flashes and night sweats are the classic menopause symptoms. Research increasingly suggests they may also be a signal worth bringing to your heart health check. Our guides to what causes hot flashes and menopause and heart disease cover the basics.

The SWAN study: 22 years of follow-up

The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) followed about 3,100 women who were 42 to 52 at the start, with up to 16 visits over 22 years.¹ Researchers tracked heart attacks, strokes, heart failure and procedures to open blocked arteries.¹

• Women with hot flashes on 6 or more days out of every 2 weeks at the start had about a 50% higher rate of later heart and stroke events than women without hot flashes.¹
• Women whose frequent hot flashes persisted across many visits had about a 77% higher rate.¹
• Occasional hot flashes (1 to 5 days out of 2 weeks) weren’t linked to higher risk.¹

These findings held after accounting for other heart risk factors and medicines.¹ The authors suggested hot flashes may be a heart risk factor specific to women.¹

A large imaging study

A study of about 3,000 women aged 50 to 64 found that women who had ever had severe hot flashes were more likely to have plaque in their heart arteries on CT scans, especially if severe flashes lasted more than 5 years or started before their last period.² Moderate hot flashes weren’t linked, and the link didn’t show up on every measure, such as high calcium scores.²

What it means and doesn’t mean

These studies show links, not proof that hot flashes damage arteries. They may share causes with heart disease, or reflect blood vessel changes. Either way, frequent or long-lasting hot flashes are a reason to look at your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and smoking, not a reason to panic.

Questions to ask

1. Do my hot flashes change my heart risk estimate?
2. When were my blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar last checked?
3. Would treating my hot flashes affect my heart risk either way?

Our guides to hot flash help without hormones, whether hormone therapy is safe and estrogen pills versus patches explain treatment choices.

Try: “I’ve had hot flashes almost every day for six years. Could that affect my heart risk, and what should we check?”

My Body Changed. Now What? includes a Visit Brief. Use it to record how often your hot flashes happen, how long you’ve had them and your latest heart health numbers. See the book.