Abstract
ObjectiveTo assess the association between hot flashes (HFs) severity and oxidative stress (OS) in Mexican postmenopausal women.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out with perimenopausal women aged 40–59 years community-dwelling from Mexico City, Mexico. They participated in Menopause and Oxidative Stress Project. The baseline sample consisted of 476 women recruited to participate; 161 women were excluded due to different reasons. Hence, 315 women were selected to establish two groups, a) 145 premenopausal women (yet with menstrual bleeding), and b) 170 postmenopausal women (without menses). All women were free of cardiovascular, kidney, hepatic or cancer disease, and without antioxidant supplement intake for at least six months prior to the beginning of the study; none had previously received hormone therapy. As OS markers, we measured plasma malondialdehyde using the TBARS assay, erythrocyte superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), uric acid, and total antioxidant status; also, we calculated SOD/GPx ratio, antioxidant gap and an oxidative stress score ranging from 0 to 7. The HFs were evaluated using the Menopause Rating Scale. The women completed Spanish version of the Athens Insomnia Scale, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale and Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and a questionnaire of pro-oxidant factors.ResultsStress score increased with HFs severity (mild 2.7±0.17, moderate 2.9±0.20 and severe 3.7±0.20, p = 0.001) in postmenopausal women. We observed a positive correlation between HFs severity and stress score, r = 0.247 (p = 0.001) in postmenopausal women; other test scores were not correlated. Severe HFs were a risk factor for OS (OR = 5.12, 95%CI: 1.99–13.17, p<0.05) in an adjusted multivariate analysis by different postmenopausal symptoms and pro-oxidant factors; we did not see any association in premenopausal women.ConclusionOur findings suggest an association between HFs severity and OS in Mexican postmenopausal women.
Highlights
IntroductionAn expected event in a woman’s life, it usually occurs around midlife and it is commonly defined as a 12-month period of amenorrhea [1] or hypoestrogenism (estrogen level < 25 pg/mL) due to ovarian senescence, the postmenopausal period is considered the beginning of female aging
Menopause, an expected event in a woman’s life, it usually occurs around midlife and it is commonly defined as a 12-month period of amenorrhea [1] or hypoestrogenism due to ovarian senescence, the postmenopausal period is considered the beginning of female aging
Stress score increased with hot flashes (HFs) severity in postmenopausal women
Summary
An expected event in a woman’s life, it usually occurs around midlife and it is commonly defined as a 12-month period of amenorrhea [1] or hypoestrogenism (estrogen level < 25 pg/mL) due to ovarian senescence, the postmenopausal period is considered the beginning of female aging. There is an erratic production of estradiol (E2) until it reaches a permanently low level in postmenopausal women [2], which result in a series of uncomfortable symptoms, such as vasomotor symptoms that interfere with sleep and quality of life. The most distressing symptoms of menopausal transition are hot flashes (HFs). They occur in over 75% of menopausal women [3]. Low concentrations of this hormone have pro-oxidant like effects [7]. In this regard, our research group has described that menopause is a risk factor for OS [8] because when the production of E2 decreases, the antioxidant protection is lost and OS increases
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