Science Update

Hot flashes are linked to an increased risk of hip fracture

According to a new study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism menopausal women with hot flashes and night sweats tend to have lower bone mineral density as well as higher rates of hip fracture than those who are asymptomatic. 

"This is the first large cohort study to examine the relationship between menopausal symptoms and bone health in menopausal women" said Carolyn J. Crandall MD MS of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles.

The study looked at data from 23573 patients ages 50 to 79 in the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trial. Women's annual visits were tracked for 8 years at 40 clinical centers across the country. Among the participants 4867 had their bone mineral density measured as part of a sub-study. 

The researchers found that women who reported having moderate or severe hot flashes when they entered the study were more likely to fracture a hip during the follow-up period than women with no menopausal symptoms. They also found that the women with moderate to severe menopausal symptoms had lower bone mass density at the neck and spine than women with no symptoms.

Postmenopausal women have an increased risk of osteoporosis due to bone tissue breaking down faster than it can be replaced. Women who have hot flashes and want to prevent osteoporosis may benefit from healthy lifestyle habits such as exercising avoiding smoking and getting sufficient bone support nutrients. Genistein is a unique botanical that rebalances the metabolic processes of bone remodeling towards bone formation and reduces the frequency and severity of hot flashes. Combining genistein with adequate vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D calcium magnesium zinc and vitamin K2 provides optimal support for helping to increase bone mineral density and for reducing hot flashes.

Source: Carolyn J. Crandall Aaron Aragaki Jane A. Cauley JoAnn E. Manson Erin LeBlanc Robert Wallace Jean Wactawski-Wende Andrea LaCroix Mary Jo O Sullivan Mara Vitolins and Nelson B. Watts. Associations of Menopausal Vasomotor Symptoms with Fracture Incidence. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism December 2014