Women with moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS) have lower bone mineral density and increased hip fracture rates, according to a study published online ahead of print December 18, 2014, in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
“This is the first large cohort study to examine the relationship between menopausal symptoms and bone health in menopausal women,” said lead author, Carolyn J. Crandall, MD, MS, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Carolyn J. Crandall, MD, MS
Data were examined from 23,573 participants in the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) Clinical Trial. The participants were women between the ages of 50 and 79. This study, which was conducted at 40 clinical centers across the country, tracked women’s annual visits for 8 years on average.
Participants were asked about their menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and night sweats, during their initial visit. WHI participants were monitored for fractures during the follow-up period. Among the study participants, 4,867 had their bone mineral density measured as part of a sub-study.
The analysis found that women who reported having moderate to severe hot flashes when they entered the study were more likely to fracture a hip during the follow-up period than were women who showed no menopausal symptoms. In addition, after researchers adjusted for age, body mass index, and demographic factors, they found that women who had moderate to severe menopausal symptoms had lower bone mass density at the neck and spine during the follow-up period than women with no symptoms.
“Our findings suggest that women who exhibit moderate or severe menopausal symptoms are more likely to have issues with bone health than their peers,” said Dr. Crandall. “Improved understanding would help clinicians advise women on how to better prevent osteoporosis and other bone conditions. Women who have hot flashes and want to protect their bones may benefit from healthy lifestyle habits such as avoiding smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, exercising, and getting sufficient calcium and vitamin D,” said Dr. Crandall.