Night Sweats with Menopause May Be Linked with Heart Disease

Are you waking up with night sweats at night? Some women are troubled by sweating during sleep as they go through the menopause. Along with hot flashes, waking up with night sweats is one of the more common symptoms of the change of life. But women with menopausal night sweats should be aware of another possibility. Night sweats with menopause may be a marker for a greater risk of heart disease.

Night Sweats With Menopause: Are They a Marker for Heart Disease Risk?

Researchers in the Netherlands looked at data from two previous studies involving over 10,000 healthy, middle-aged women. The researchers asked these women to complete questionnaires detailing their menopausal symptoms, and they recorded their blood pressure and BMI.

During a ten year follow-up, researchers found that women who had menopausal night sweats were at moderately increased risk of coronary heart disease compared to women who didn't have night sweats with menopause. On the other hand, hot flushes were not linked with a greater risk of heart disease in this study.

Why Would Night Sweats With Menopause Signal a Greater Risk for Heart Disease?

Researchers aren't sure whether it's the lower estrogen levels that are responsible for the greater risk of heart disease in women with night sweats or some other factor. Women who have night sweats as a symptom of menopause may be experiencing a more pronounced drop in estrogen levels.

Estrogen seems to be somewhat protective against coronary artery disease - although not all studies confirm this. The other possibility is that women who have night sweats with menopause have a more active sympathetic nervous system, which could cause blood vessels to behave abnormally.

Night Sweats with Menopause and the Risk of Heart Disease: The Bottom Line?

One word of warning. If you have persistent night sweats, don't assume it's necessarily related to menopause. Other medical conditions such as an overactive thyroid, diabetes and even some types of cancer can cause persistent night sweats. See your doctor and make sure it really is menopausal night sweats - and ask your doctor to check a lipid panel and blood pressure. Until there's more information, it's important to reduce any other risk factors you may have for heart disease.

References:

Medscape.com. "Menopausal Night Sweats Linked to Coronary Heart Disease"