Viva la sweats!
Night sweats, that is! I never thought that I’d write that but it does seem that having night sweats may actually save your life someday.
Reporting in the September/October issue of Menopause, Norwegian researchers followed up on over 800 women in menopause who had previously provided information about lifestyle and menopausal history (including vasomotor symptoms). Of the 73% of women who reported having hot flashes, 39% also reported night sweats. Women reporting both were shown to have a 28% lower risk of dying from any causes over the next 20 years. A reduced risk of dying remained even after the researchers made adjustments for past or current hormone use, body mass index, physical exercise and smoking.
Will these data make me stop the herbs and start sweating away my nights? No. But it’s good to know that vasomotor symptoms, such as night sweats, may have a role beyond “nuisance,” “disruptive,” “mood changing” and sheet-ruining!
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: Equol-ity
Not bursting this one. At least not yet….
Last January, I shared some news on a key component in a type of isoflavone known as Daidzein. The component, S-equol, is produced by some people by the bacteria that lives in their intestines after eating soybeans and soy foods. Japanese women who produce S-equol naturally have been shown to have milder menopausal symptoms.
No wonder I was excited to see more information about S-equol coming out of September’s North American Menopause Society meeting. This time, researchers asked 320 postmenopausal women complaining of at least one hot flash a day to take a 10 mg equol supplement or a placebo tablet for 12 weeks. Menopausal symptoms were evaluated before and after taking the equol supplement, both by questionnaire and by a visual scale.
The findings are encouraging, as it appears that taking a daily equol supplement significantly reduced the frequency of hot flashes by as much as 58%. Women taking the supplement also reported declines in neck and shoulder stiffness. What’s more, no side effects were reported. However, while menopausal symptoms scores improved overall, S-equol did not appear to affect night sweats, mood issues or quality of life.
Obviously, S-equol is not yet available for mass consumption and only time will tell if these benefits can be duplicated in larger groups of women. Still, it’s nice to know that plant-based compounds are slowly proving their worth in the quest to find non-pharmaceuticals to alleviate menopausal symptoms. I’m all for equality when it comes to solutions for menopause and equol has my vote so far!
Read MoreThe domino effect
I’ve never heard of the term ‘Domino Effect’ being applied to menopause, although, if one thinks about it, it makes perfect sense. For example, hot flashes beget sleep disruptions beget mood swings, and so on and and so on.
But do they?
In a study published in Menopause Journal ahead-of-print, 55 women were asked to keep daily records of their symptoms for up to five years or until they fully entered menopause. whichever came first. The researchers then evaluated whether or not changes in hot flashes or night sweats would predict a change in sleep the very same day, and if these changes then predicted changes in moods the next day. They also factored in whether or not women were initially depressed to insure that any results they found would not be unduly influenced.
They found that daily hot flashes or night sweats accurately predicted same day sleep problems and disruptions, which in turn, worsened moods the next day. However, the researchers were unable to connect hot flashes and night sweats directly to shifts in mood without this interim step except for in women who were already mildly depressed.
Are you confused yet?
What this really shows is that while night flashes and hot sweats may affect overall mood swings during menopause, the reason is unlikely to be attributed directly to sleep disruption but rather to some other mechanism. In the long run, this may allow lead to better interventions that individually address these factors so that the sum of the parts becomes a more positive sense of well-being regardless of any physical disruptions.
Every action has a chain reaction. Hopefully, this finding will lead to something positive for us all.
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: Cool like dat
Hey Ladies! Wondering how to rid yourself of those hot flashes forever? Just a drink of ‘GEM Keep it Cool’, and voila, your hot flashes will disappear! Heck, Marie Osmond swears by it.
Evidently, ‘Keep it Cool’ works on irritability and night sweats as well.
A glance at the nutrition panel shows that ‘Keep it Cool’ contains black cohosh as well as a proprietary blend of adaptogen herbs. ( Adaptogens are agents that theoretically, boost the body’s ability to fight off physical, chemical, or biological stressors by raising its resistance level.) GEM also makes drinks that relieve stress, boost mental acuity, promote bone strength and prevent aging.
If only it were that easy. Cool like dat….not!
One drink a day.
What do you think? This bubble’s bursting so wide that I can hardly stand it.
Read MoreWhat’s your chill factor?
Brrrr…it’s getting cold in here. No, it’s hot, no, it’s cold. Sound familiar? Maybe the ChiliPad™ is for you. This new technology, brought to you from ChiliTechnology, is like a sleep number for the menopausal set.
The ChiliPad cools and heats the entire surface of the bed to a desired temperature to promote a more restful sleep without bothersome hot flashes or night sweats. Got a partner? The dual remote control allows him/her to stay warm while you chill yourself to the bone.
A few months ago I wrote about the Bedfan, a tongue-in-cheek, futuristic wish list item for hot flashes. Who knew that someone had actually taken it one step further to create an entire chill experience for your nighttime pleasure?
My question, however, is this: if you are chill all night long, what happens when the flash stops and you need some warmth? Short of snuggling up to your partner, do you instead, spend the entire night messing with the wireless remote? Hmm, doesn’t sound very restful, does it?
So… what’s your chill factor?
Read MoreWednesday Bubble: just the facts, Jack.
Today’s Bubble carries a warning that we all need to heed: results of one study cannot be applied to another.
Repeat after me: results of one study cannot be applied to another.
Last year, I wrote about an interesting study out of Baylor University showing that hypnotic therapy was effective for decreasing the frequency and severity of hot flashes among women with breast cancer. Because the results were so favourable, researchers received a sizable grant from the National Institutes of Health for a much broader study to examine the potential role of hypnosis in post-menopausal women experiencing hot flashes, but in comparison to another mind-body intervention.
Now mind you, there is evidence that hypnosis is a promising intervention among non-breast cancer patients but the studies that have been conducted have been small and have not specifically examined its therapeutic role in women entering menopause naturally.
Let’s look at the facts, shall we?
The Baylor study enrolled 51 breast cancer survivors, 25 of whom received hypnosis for their hot flashes and 26 who did not. Women receiving treatment experienced an impressive 68% reduction in a hot flashes while women receiving no treatment did not experience any relief. Expectations of relief, better known as a placebo effect, cannot be ruled out in terms of skewing the results, which is why the larger study is comparing treatments. Again, this study showed that women who experienced chemotherapy-induced menopause experienced some relief from hot flashes by undergoing hypnosis.
That brings me to the extrapolation part.
The Hot Flash Relief program is an audio program that theoretically relieves hot flashes; all that you have to do is listen to a 20 minute audio CD for 21 days. It claims to based on results of the Baylor study, and tested under questionable study conditions. Hot Flash Relief bills itself as an amazing breakthrough to help you get relief from hot flashes and night sweats without pills, hormones or risk. If you are not entirely satisfied, Hot Flash Relief will refund your money.
I’d like to point a few things out:
- The Baylor study was conducted under controlled conditions
- The Baylor study was not carried out among women who had undergone natural menopause
- Hypnosis was carried out in person and under the guidance of a trained professional
- The efficacy of hypnosis looks good but further study is required
Let’s look at Hot Flash Relief:
- Hot Flash Relief claims that it can help any woman with hot flashes
- Hot Flash Relief bases its effectiveness on a “study” in which women were sent the CD and then asked to report back on it via testimonials
- Hot Flash Relief was developed by a top US hypnotist, Tom Nicoli, whose voice you will hear on the audio CD. Although he is certified and is reputable in the weight loss field, research is not his game
- Audio hypnosis has not proven as effective as self-hypnosis for women with menopause
I want to believe, I really do. But the folks at Hot Flash Relief may be considerably more out of their minds than most of us menopausal midlifers. Before you drink kool aid, on this or any other strategy, just take a look at the facts. Money guarantee or not, you will be glad that you did!
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