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Lower estradiol levels increase nighttime hot flashes, sleep disturbances in menopausal women
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Menopausal women with lower estradiol levels are more likely to have a greater number of nighttime hot flashes and hot flash-related awakenings than women who have higher estradiol levels, according to recent study findings presented at The North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting.
Massimiliano de Zambotti, PhD, of SRI International in Menlo Park, California, and colleagues analyzed data from 27 menopausal women (mean age, 50 years; mean BMI, 23.5 kg/m²) who did not have a breathing-related or periodic limb movement sleep disorder (confirmed by an initial overnight polysomnographic screening). In a second overnight session with polysomnographic screening, researchers measured participants’ sternal skin conductance to quantify hot flashes; researchers also analyzed follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol levels from blood samples collected that evening. Researchers used a stepwise regression model to predict the percentage of hot flash-related wake time using estradiol and FSH levels, age and BMI as dependent variables.
Massimiliano de Zambotti
Women in the cohort experienced one to eight hot flashes during overnight recordings, with 0% to 89% of total wakefulness attributed to hot flash-associated wake time, according to researchers. Estradiol levels explained 21% of the variance, with lower levels of estradiol predicting a greater percentage of hot flash-associated wake time.
In a secondary analysis of nine women in the cohort who had an additional overnight stay, researchers compared recordings from the night with lower estradiol levels (23.3 pg/mol-1) with those from the night with higher estradiol levels (54.9 pg/mol-1) and found women had more hot flashes (P = .036) and a greater percentage of hot flash-related wake time (P = .07) on the night with lower estradiol levels.
FSH levels did not affect hot flashes or hot flash-related wakefulness, according to researchers.
“Lower estradiol levels are associated with a greater impact of hot flashes on sleep, as determined from an objective measure of hot flash-associated wake time, in women in the menopausal transition,” the researchers wrote. “Longitudinal data are required to confirm whether hot flashes have an increasingly greater negative impact on sleep as women transition menopause and estradiol levels decline.” – by Regina Schaffer
Reference:
de Zambotti M, et al. S-5. Presented at: The North American Menopause Society Annual Meeting; Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2015; Las Vegas.
Disclosure: Endocrine Today was unable to confirm any relevant financial disclosures.