Caffeine may fuel hot flashes

Menopausal hot flashes may be more bothersome in women who drink caffeine, according to results of a 6-year cross-sectional survey published in Menopause.

Between July 25, 2005 and July 25, 2011, researchers administered the Menopause Health Questionnaire, a comprehensive survey of menopause-related health information, to 2507 consecutive women who presented at the Women’s Health Clinic at Mayo Clinic with menopausal concerns.

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A two-sample t test and covariance analysis were used to compare menopausal symptom ratings between women who used caffeine and those who did not. Smoking and menopause status were included as covariates. Two-tailed P<0.05 was considered statistically significant in all cases.

Among the 1806 women who met all inclusion criteria, caffeine use was positively associated with mean vasomotor symptom scores (2.30 [0.91] vs 2.15 [0.94], P=0.011). Even after adjusting for menopause and cigarette smoking, the finding remained significant (P=0.027).

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Investigators concluded that caffeine use was associated with greater vasomotor symptom bother in women who were postmenopausal.

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