Vasomotor symptoms, hot flashes correlate with lower level of plasma antioxidant activity, an increased cardiovascular reactivity to stressful situations, elevated cholesterol, higher sympathetic nerve activity, impaired flow-mediated dilation, hypertension and a higher risk of aortic calcification.
Hot flushes are an indicator of, a marker for underlying arterial changes among otherwise healthy menopausal women. More specifically, healthy postmenopausal women with hot flashes have different cardiovascular risk factors than postmenopausal women without hot flashes.
Hot flashes are more than just bothersome, they are an indication, a message to women of potential heightened cardiovascular risk factors . . . as noted in the second paragraph.
Source:
Vasomotor symptoms and cardiovascular risk.
Climacteric. 2009;12 Suppl 1:32-5.
Gambacciani M, Pepe A.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Menopause and Osteoporosis Center,
Pisa University Hospital, Pisa, Italy
