Menopause News: Hot Flashes Linked With A Genetic Variant

First Posted: Oct 20, 2016 05:40 AM EDT
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As women get older they are experiencing menopause. The usual sign that they would experience is hot flashes. A current study shows how a gene is linked with the hot flashes.

A current research suggests that women may be predisposed genetically to already suffer hot flashes even before and during menopause stage. Researchers found the gene variants that sends the signal to the brain that releases estrogen. The gene variants increase the possibility that women will experience hot flashes.

Professor of medicine in the division of general internal medicine and health services, research principal investigator Dr. Carolyn Crandall from the University of California, Los Angeles said that "No previous studies have focused on how variants in women's genes may be linked with hot flashes, and these results were highly statistically significant."

In the study,  the team of researchers analyzed the entire human genome and determine the link between night sweats, hot flashes, and genetic variations. Experts studied the file of 17,695 postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 79 genetic information. They also look at the facts if these women reported that they undergo night sweats and hot flashes.

As follows, more than 11 million genetic  variants have been studied by the researchers. They discovered that 14 of the gene variants were linked with hot flashes. They found that each of these variants is residing in the part of chromosome 4 that specifically encodes the brain receptor called as tachykinin receptor 3. The receptor then interacts with nerve fibers that administer the release of estrogen.

Doctor Crandall added that "These associations were similar across European-American, African-American and Hispanic-American women, and they persisted even after we accounted for other factors that might influence hot flashes,"  as reported by Medical News Today.

However, more research should be applied, especially how other gene codes can affect the hot flashes. Dr. Cardall shared that, "If we can better identify what genetic variants are associated with hot flashes, this could lead to novel treatments to relieve them," according to Health Day

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