A comprehensive study, looking at 25 other studies over the past several years found that women who experience hot flashes or night sweats tend to be at a higher risk of suffering a heart attack, stroke, or angina.
The study, which was conducted by the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, looked at data spanning over many years and many different studies. In total, about 500,000 cases were examined. They found that pre-menopausal women were 40 percent more likely than the average women to suffer from one of these cardiac events if hot flashes were present. In post-menopausal women, if hot flashes or night sweats were indicated the likelihood of cardiac event went up by 70 percent. In general, the more severe the hot flashes were, the higher the risk of a cardiac event occurring in the future was.
This does not mean that hot flashes are an immediate cause for concern. There is no causality between these two events, meaning just because someone does suffer from hot flashes does not necessarily mean that they are also going to suffer from a heart attack. It is just a warning sign. However, hot flashes can be a good reminder to go see a doctor and have a complete physical evaluation done. If there is something else going on, a doctor will now have another opportunity to detect an issue early and resolve it before it becomes a serious life threatening emergency.
Working with a doctor and understanding warning signs can help prevent cardiac events like a heart attack.
This isn’t always a sign that you should be alarmed by. For many, this is a natural part of aging. However, even if this is the case, it’s always smart to work with a doctor who knows you and your personal medical history. If there is a cause for concern, a doctor will help you to get a handle on this.
There are many other indicators that could predict that heart disease is present. Really, this is just one of many things to be aware of. In order to be as safe and healthy as possible, it’s important to know what habits you should be eliminating or adding to your daily routine, and work alongside a doctor to help track and monitor your progress.
And if you do find that you’re at a higher risk of heart disease, start taking active steps right now to lower that risk. If you’re a smoker or a drinker, cut these things out of your lifestyle. Start getting more exercise, start eating healthier. Again, work with a doctor to make sure that you’re doing things right and doing things in a way that will actually be helpful for you. There are a lot of missteps that can occur when trying to change lifestyle habits, so working with a doctor to make sure that you are being safe and effective is the best way to start.
Each person will be a little bit different in how they approach this. What’s ideal for one person isn’t always what’s best for another. Someone may benefit from swimming and light weights. Someone else might benefit more from a rowing machine. It really depends on your body, background, preference, and a whole host of other factors. This is why it’s so important to work with someone that is willing to help you customize your approach to staying healthy.
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