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Hot flashes can persist for longer than previously thought. Traditional wisdom had said that the symptoms of menopause last for only a few years. But new research has found that those symptoms can last much longer. “Hot flashes can continue for as long as 14 years and the earlier they begin the longer a woman is likely to suffer. In a racially, ethnically and geographically diverse group of 1,449 women with frequent hot flashes or night sweats, the median length of time women endured symptoms was 7.4 years. So while half of the women were affected for less than that time, half had symptoms longer — some for 14 years, researchers reported.” How long those symptoms lasted depended on a variety of factors. “Overall, black and Hispanic women experienced hot flashes for significantly longer periods than white or Asian women. The researchers also found that the earlier hot flashes started, the longer they were likely to continue. Among women who got hot flashes before they stopped menstruating, the hot flashes were likely to continue for years after menopause, longer than for women whose symptoms began only when their periods had stopped.” The researchers say their findings help women prepare better for menopause and work with their doctors to manage their symptoms more effectively.
