Understanding the pathophysiology of vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) that occur in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause life stages

@article{Deecher2007UnderstandingTP,
  title={Understanding the pathophysiology of vasomotor symptoms (hot flushes and night sweats) that occur in perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause life stages},
  author={Darlene C. Deecher and Kathleen M. Dorries},
  journal={Archives of Women's Mental Health},
  year={2007},
  volume={10},
  pages={247-257}
}
SummaryVasomotor symptoms (VMS), commonly called hot flashes or flushes (HFs) and night sweats, are the menopausal symptoms for which women seek treatment during menopause most often. VMS are a form of temperature dysfunction that occurs due to changes in gonadal hormones. Normally, core body temperature (CBT) remains within a specific range, oscillating with daily circadian rhythms. Physiological processes that conserve and dissipate heat are responsible for maintaining CBT, and tight… 
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Thermoregulation and Menopause: Understanding the Basic Pathophysiology of Vasomotor Symptoms
TLDR
Understanding the pathways and mechanisms involved in temperature regulation and elucidating specific receptors or neurotransmitters implicated in thermoregulatory dysfunction will guide future understanding of VMS causality and drug discovery efforts.
Non-Hormonal Treatment Strategies for Vasomotor Symptoms
TLDR
Overall, efficacy data support the use of some psychotropic medications, including selective serotonin reptake inhibitors, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and gabapentin, and Complementary and alternative methods for VMS showed limited but promising results, although more definitive studies are warranted.
Treatment options for vasomotor symptoms in menopause: focus on desvenlafaxine
TLDR
The risk factors for VMS as well as the proposed pathophysiology behind their occurrence will be discussed, and focus will be given to the role of desvenlafaxine as a treatment option for V MS management.
A Review of Management of Perimenopausal Hot Flashes
TLDR
The most known effective treatment of hot flashes is hormone replacement therapy (HRT); however, in recent years, other non-hormonal options have become available for those women who cannot or do not want to take HRT.
Menopausal hot flushes revisited
TLDR
There is a need to consider treatments other than hormone replacement for the relief of hot flushes, in view of the contraindications and side-effects of estrogens and progestogens in postmenopausal women.
Vasomotor Symptoms: What is the Impact of Physical Exercise?
TLDR
Regular physical activity should be promoted in all postmenopausal women, though they may not derive a significant improvement of VMS, which is the leading menopausal symptom presenting for medical attention.
Assessing risks and benefits of nonhormonal treatments for vasomotor symptoms in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
TLDR
Evidence does not support the efficacy of alternative or over-the-counter products, such as phytoestrogens and black cohosh, and their long-term safety is largely unknown.
Vasomotor symptoms and negative affect: An ambulatory assessment of midlife women
TLDR
The subjective experience of VMS plays a key role in relationships between VMS, negative affect, and health-related factors on a daily basis, and the findings do not support a small role of sleep disturbance in linking night sweat severity to next day negative affect.
An Overview of the Extent and Nature of Menopause and Its Physiological Basis
TLDR
Menopause is associated with vasomotor menopausal symptoms; of other symptoms such as incontinence, depressed feelings, and vaginal dryness it is not clear whether it is the menopause per se that causes these symptoms and complaints, whether aging also plays a major role.
Phytoestrogens for menopausal vasomotor symptoms.
TLDR
Some of these trials found that phytoestrogen treatments alleviated the frequency and severity of hot flushes and night sweats when compared with placebo, but many trials were small and were determined to be at high risk of bias.
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